As you likely saw and celebrated along with us, this November the US Army Corps of Engineers denied the Pebble Limited Partnership's Clean Water Act permit. This permit denial moved us a step closer to stopping the Pebble Mine, and has given us the opportunity to catch our breath after many years of fighting! More importantly, it is a chance for us to finally and permanently protect Bristol Bay so that we don't find ourselves fighting the Pebble Mine again four years - or 40 years - from now. As critical as 2020 was for our need to defend Bristol Bay, 2021 presents the opportunity for us all to pull together and permanently protect Bristol Bay!

Following the denial of Pebble Limited Partnership's permit application, Bristol Bay's Tribes and residents released The Call for Permanent Protection for Bristol Bay to ensure the Pebble Mine cannot continue to threaten Bristol Bay's communities, fishermen, and businesses.

There are two steps necessary to ensure Bristol Bay's world-class fishery can continue to supply half of the world's sockeye salmon, employ more than 14,000 Americans, generate $1.5 billion in annual economic activity and sustain a way of life for generations.

Step 1: Clean Water Act Protections:

The Environmental Protection Agency should use its authority under section 404(c) of the Clean Water Act to veto the Pebble Mine. No other approach can create the immediate safety net for those who depend on Bristol Bay. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the Environmental Protection Agency have all concluded that Pebble Mine will permanently damage Bristol Bay and its fishery. It's time to act on that science and give Bristol Bay immediate protection.

Step 2: Bristol Bay National Fisheries Area:

To ensure that Bristol Bay's protections are not reversed by future administrations, Congress should introduce and pass the Bristol Bay National Fisheries Area Act that will provide federal protection for the watersheds - and fisheries - of Bristol Bay, Alaska in perpetuity. This legislation should permanently ban any toxic mine waste from the proposed Pebble Mine and large scale projects like it that would harm Bristol Bay's rivers, lakes and wetlands.

There is no reason to leave the door open for the Pebble Mine or any other large mining development in the Bristol Bay region. Bristol Bay is a renewable economic engine that sustains thousands of fishermen and businesses throughout the country. It is in our nation's best interest to permanently protect Bristol Bay and ensure that it will continue to provide jobs, revenue, and sustainable, wild seafood. As fishermen, and salmon lovers who value and depend on Bristol Bay's pristine waters, we stand with the people of Bristol Bay and ask our elected leaders to permanently protect Bristol Bay from the Pebble Mine.

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