Ads Thank Representative Mary Sattler Peltola and Urge Congress to Protect Bristol Bay

Print and digital ads running today thank Congresswoman Mary Sattler Peltola (AK) for introducing H.R. 8193, the Bristol Bay Protection Act, and urge Congress to pass legislation to permanently end the threat of the Pebble Mine—a giant proposed gold and copper mine at the headwaters of the world’s greatest wild salmon fishery in Bristol Bay, Alaska. 

If passed, the Bristol Bay Protection Act would codify the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) 2023 Clean Water Act veto of the Pebble Mine, which is facing legal challenges from the mine’s developers and the state of Alaska.

Paid for by the Bristol Bay Defense Fund—a broad coalition of local, state, and national groups representing Bristol Bay tribes, commercial fishermen, businesses, and conservation nonprofit organizations—the ads are running in the Anchorage Daily News and Juneau Empire. 

Bristol Bay is the world’s most valuable salmon fishery, supplying 57 percent of the world’s wild sockeye salmon, generating $2.2 billion in annual economic activity, and supporting 15,000 American jobs. But the Pebble Mine—and its more than 10 billion tons of toxic mining waste—would risk it all.

Legislation couldn’t come at a more opportune time, as the developers of the Pebble Mine and state of Alaska have filed multiple lawsuits challenging the EPA’s Clean Water Act veto and seeking more than $700 billion (each!) in compensation. 

It’s clear that the Pebble Limited Partnership is not backing down. Without federal legislation permanently protecting the region, the Pebble Mine and its supporters will continue to relentlessly push for a mine that is overwhelmingly opposed by Bristol Bay tribes, residents, and communities—as well as a strong majority of Alaskans. 

Federal legislation is essential because the ore body buried beneath the tundra of the Bristol Bay watershed remains an irresistible temptation to the mining industry. The ultimate solution to ensure long-term protection for the region is federal legislation.

Representative Peltola’s introduction of the Bristol Bay Protection Act is a great first step. We look forward to working together to get it passed—and to secure permanent protection for Bristol Bay.