Bristol Bay’s future is in our fish and natural resources

We are just a few of the many young adults whose livelihoods depend on the clean water and pristine land that has sustained the people of Bristol Bay since time immemorial. As Pebble tries to sell Alaskans on its sham of a mine plan, this time by focusing on jobs, we want to clear something up: We oppose the Pebble mine. We want to protect the environment that provides the resources to sustain our communities and families, and we won’t stop until our work is done.

We are subsistence providers, commercial fishermen and sportfishing guides. We have been learning our lands and waters since childhood. Now we’re putting that knowledge to work and sharing it with others. We have chosen to invest in a future that depends on our natural resources and environment, and Pebble’s plans do not fit into that picture.

We have invested in fishing boats, permits and rods, ordered brailer bags and slush bags, studied for Coast Guard licenses. We’ve spent the spring tuning up skiffs, mending nets, tying flies, sharpening fillet knives. We’ve staked our future on renewable resources and on the environment that has sustained this region for generations. We are fully invested in the resources of this region.

And we’re not alone. Our friends, family and acquaintances are doing the same. We’ve heard about efforts in several communities to harness our natural resources to provide other economic opportunities: processing plants in Levelock and Port Heiden, the Diamond Point rock quarry owned by Igiugig, community programs throughout the bay that help pay individuals for sharing their knowledge of cultural and subsistence resources with youth.

Pebble mine threatens all of that. The company made a mess of our land during their exploration work and has already repeatedly proven that they are not trustworthy. But the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is rushing through their review toward a permit with no concern for our futures or livelihoods, ignoring the science that clearly shows Pebble’s promises cannot and will not ring true. The draft environmental impact statement talks about the need for jobs in Bristol Bay, but it doesn’t talk about the threat this would pose to the thousands of jobs and industries that already exist. It completely ignores the money and time that we have invested in our future, the future that we have chosen for ourselves and our communities. It doesn’t give much consideration at all to some of our communities, which are farther from the mine site but still part of the same watershed.

So when you hear Pebble and its supporters talk about the need for jobs in Bristol Bay, please know that this is an issue our communities are working on – and we’re not interested in the short-term jobs Pebble would offer. We want long-term jobs that respect the environment and allow us to make a living in harmony with the land. That’s the way we were raised and the future we’re building. Pebble has no part in it.

We came of age watching our elders fight this mine, and now it’s our turn to take the lead and fight for our future. But this isn’t the legacy or the work we want to pass on to the next generation. It needs to stop now. During public hearings throughout Bristol Bay, this year and in the past, we’ve raised these issues. We’ve told the federal government what we want for our future, that we don’t want Pebble, and that they’ve done nothing to gain our trust. After more than a decade of fighting, it feels like no one is listening.

Anchorage, now it’s your turn, and we’re counting on you. Please submit an online comment and support the future we’re trying to build in Bristol Bay, a future that can continue to sustain us in a manner that reflects the values of this region. Please tell the government to stop listening to a foreign mining company who only cares about making money, and start listening to the Alaskan people. We won’t trade a diverse and multi-faceted economic future for a short-term mine. Our land, water and people are our gold here in Bristol Bay.

Rylie Lyon is a sportfishing guide at Bear Trail Lodge. Willie Larson is a commercial fisherman from Koliganek. Justin Gumlickpuk is a commercial fisherman from New Stuyahok. Jenny Bennis is a commercial fisherman from Dillingham. All are lifelong Bristol Bay subsistence providers.

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