In case you’ve been living under a rock or something for the past month or so, you should know that on February 28, the EPA set the wheels in motion under the Clean Water Act that could realistically put the kibosh on the Pebble Mine. In other words, the fly fishing industry, as well as the natives, commercial fishermen, hunters and other interests who have fought in opposition to this mine may actually win this thing. The government may indeed decide that a natural, self-sustaining resource is more valuable than a pit mine. This would be one of the greatest conservation victories fly fishing has ever known.
Nobody did a better job of explaining what the ruling meant than Scott Willoughby of the Denver Post.
It isn’t over yet. We still have much work to do to finish the job. But kudos to the many people in fly fishing and beyond who have worked on this effort.
You will be able to read more on the status of Pebble in the upcoming print issue of Angling Trade, which will be arriving any day now.
1 Comment
Thanks guys for continuing to cover this long-running battle. The fly industry and fly anglers have been in this fight for many years, and will always – in my opinion – be considered the vanguard of the campaign in the Lower 48. While our efforts are simply building upon the strong desire in Bristol Bay and more broadly in Alaska to see this incredible fishery protected, it’s says something when nearly 1,100 sport fishing and hunting groups have all lined up to defend Bristol Bay. You’ve hung with us this long, and that’s why we’ve gotten to this point. Stick with us through the EPA 404c process which could run roughly into early 2015. This was a major development, and we could be headed into the final innings of this epic battle. Thanks for all your past and ongoing support.