"Protecting Bristol Bay is currently the number one conservation issue for the United States Fly Fishing Industry."
Those words came from the mouth of Jim Klug, the Chairman of hte American Fly Fishing Trade Association. Bristol Bay in Alaska is currently a hotbed for controversy, as attempts to mine the mineral-rich area move forward. If you're unfamiliar with the situation, check out GoFISHn's recent coverage of the issue here.
Well, we've got some inspiring news to pass along, as a press release yesterday announced that more than 360 outdoor organizations are joining forces to sign a petition to be sent to EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson. The hope of the move is to encourage Jackson to use her Agency's power, and governing laws like the Clean Water Act, to try to put a stop to mining in Bristol Bay.
CEO of Trout Unlimited Chris Wood had this to say:
"Hunters and anglers commend the EPA for taking this first important step. We are confidence that after teh science and other public input are considered, the EPA and the Obama Administration will stand with sport and commercial fishermen and the people of Alaska to protect the extraordinary ecological, economic, and cultural value of this place and the fishery."
[You can read the entire press release here]
The step Wood was referring to was the plan to assess the watershed to gain an improved understanding of how development might impact the water quality and the salmon fishery.
The proposed mining would create a 2-mile-wide, 1700-foot deep open pit, and there's the chance that waste, and a lot of it, could make it into the Bay.
We'll keep you up to date here on GoFISHn as the situation progresses.
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