Mark Begich understands, respects and stands up for Alaskans and Alaska Natives, while his opponent Dan Sullivan has proven time and time again that he cares less about the Alaska Native community, our way of life and our concerns. I've witnessed Sullivan's disrespect for the people of Bristol Bay as he continues to push for destructive mining in the Bristol Bay watershed regardless of our region's outright opposition to the development of mines like Pebble for the last decade.
As a 28-year-old Yup'ik woman who grew up and still lives year-round in Bristol Bay, I know Begich has earned our vote. I, like many others in this region, have been raised to respect our traditional values and a way of life that is based on an irreplaceable fishery. I care deeply about the Bristol Bay region and about keeping our watershed pristine from mines like Pebble that would pose extreme and grave risks to all of us. For example, we need only look to the recent Mount Polley mine disaster, where a "modern mine" tailings dam failed and dumped millions of tons of toxic waste into the Fraser river system, to know that mines and fish cannot coexist.
One of the major reasons I oppose Dan Sullivan for Senate is because as natural resources commissioner, he consistently promoted the Pebble mine and sought to silence public and tribal input on natural resource issues. He worked on the Bristol Bay Area Management Plan to reclassify state land at the Pebble deposit as strictly mineral land, not land needed for subsistence hunting and fishing. His plan extinguished habitat classifications that the prior plan designated for wetlands that are so critically important to fish habitat. He also engineered HB 77, a failed effort that would have prohibited tribes and other stakeholders from participating in the state permitting process. When Anglo-American smartened up and pulled its investment out of developing Pebble, guess who went looking for a new partner for the now lone development company, Northern Dynasty? You guessed it, Dan Sullivan. Last I checked, it wasn't the DNR commissioner's job to seek out potential development partners for international mining companies.
The four people who recently wrote an op-ed supporting Sullivan live in the only two Bristol Bay communities to outright support development of the Pebble mine. Why? Because Pebble has spent millions buying their allegiance in an area right next to the mine. Neither they nor Sullivan speak for me or the 90 percent of people in this region who oppose Pebble. The fact is our voices have fallen on deaf ears when it comes to the Parnell administration and his appointees like Dan Sullivan who don't care to understand, respect or represent the indigenous people of this state. What a disappointment to learn that Sen. Lisa Murkowski has endorsed such a horrendous candidate for rural Alaska. A vote for Sullivan is a vote against Alaska Native hunting and fishing rights, the safety of our villages and is a vote for the destruction of our futures in rural Alaska.
Sen. Begich is the opposite. He has taken the time to hear our concerns and the thousands of comments from our region that supported EPA intervening at the tribe's request to stop mines like Pebble. Begich echoes his predecessor Ted Stevens opposing Pebble, saying, "Wrong mine, wrong place." With the foundation of rock-solid scientific evidence, the EPA recently concluded that "Given the extent of streams, wetlands, lakes and ponds both overlying the Pebble deposit and within adjacent watersheds, excavation of a massive mine pit . . . would result in discharge of dredged or fill material into these waters. This discharge would result in complete loss of fish habitat. . . . All of these losses would be irreversible." Begich has paid attention to the science, heard the voices of our region, heard from Pebble, and then concluded that Bristol Bay deserves unique protection from mines like Pebble. That is why United Tribes of Bristol Bay has endorsed Begich and that is why voters in our region will be voting for him overwhelmingly come November.
Alannah Hurley is executive director of United Tribes of Bristol Bay, a coalition of 13 Bristol Bay tribes working to protect their traditional way of life and oppose large-scale mines like Pebble.
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