Copper River Lodge - Trophy Fly-fishing Alaska USA

Conservation

The Copper River Lodge is concerned about the salmon populations around the world, and Alaska.  We are fortunate to have very stable salmon runs, but they need to be protected to keep them that way.  Threats from the Pebble Mine, over fishing, and habitat destruction could all play a role in destroying one of the largest intact salmon ecosystems left in the world.

On this page we will try to keep you updated on current threats.  We also donate trips every year to these conservation causes.  If you are interested in bidding on a trip please let us know.  We also sell $100 raffle tickets for a free trip, 100% of the donation will go to fighting the Pebble Mine, or habitat preservation through the agencies below.   

Our greatest fight at this point is trying to slow down or stop Pebble Mine which could become the largest open pit mine in the world.  The mine is located between the two largest salmon producing drainages in Alaska, the Nushagak and the Kvijack.   Please support the agencies that are fighting this mine: Trout Unlimited, the Conservation Fund, the Nature Conservancy, and the Sportsman's Alliance. 

If you would like to see a great video on the mine please go to Red Gold trailer

Another good website to go to for updates is savebristolbay.org

http://www.savebristolbay.org/

Recent News:

Aug 5, 2010:

Here’s the link to my page with a new map showing all the mining claims on state lands in the Bristol Bay region…scary, nearly 800 square miles. 

http://www.sportsmansalliance4ak.org/Issues/Issues_Bristol_Bay.html

 

Northern Dynasty, one of the Pebble partners, recently picked up some additional claims adjacent to the Pebble property.

http://www.adn.com/2010/07/12/1364076/pebble-partner-picks-up-some-neighboring.html

 

EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson was in Alaska last week.  She met with the Pebble Partnership in Anchorage and also traveled out to Dillingham to meet with local residents.  EPA will have a very big role in the permitting process and the potential outcomes.  Here are some stories:

 

http://thebristolbaytimes.com/article/1030epa_sets_pebble_mine_listening_sessions

http://www.adn.com/2010/07/27/1383661/rural-concerns-are-focus-of-epa.html

http://thecordovatimes.com/article/1030at_meeting_with_epa_chief_residents_united_in

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-pebble-mine-20100804,0,563456.story

 

Finally, the EPA has authority to veto permits issued by the Army Corps of Engineers under Section 404c of the Clean Water Act.  It’s not common for the EPA to exercise this veto, and it has only been done 12 times since the 1970s.  Amazingly, 2 days after Lisa Jackson was in Dillingham, Alaska Congressman Don Young (R-AK) introduced a bill that would strip this veto authority from the EPA.  You can’t make this stuff up.  In case you’re interested, the bill has 3 other co-sponsors: Rob Bishop (R-UT-1), Jason Chaffetz (R-UT-3), and Walter B. Jones, Jr. (R-NC-3).

http://donyoung.house.gov/News/DocumentSingle.aspx?DocumentID=201882



Pebble Annouces no Permit Applications in 2010

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Pebble announced last night that it will not apply for permits in 2010. That's the word from the Pebble Partnership during a recent public debate about the proposed mine in Dillingham. It's a delay in the company's previous permitting schedule. To listen to Mike Mason's public radio story about the debate, which featured Pebble Partnership chief executive John Shively, former state Sen. Rick Halford, and others. Listen to the hearing here.