Alaska, Past Present and Future By Ken Morrish In 1867, President Andrew Johnson s Secretary of State William H. Seward oversaw what I consider to be the best-spent money in American history. In Moskow times were tough and the tsar, Emperor Alexander II, had been left cash strapped by the Crimean War and feared loosing to the British, without compensation, the far eastern portion of his empire known now as Alaska. The result was the Alaska Purchase in which 586,412 square miles of territory was peacefully sold and transferred to the U.S. for 7.2 million dollars. Twice the size of Texas, the Alaska Territory was purchased for two cents an acre yet opinions were divided as to its economic value until the Klondike Gold Rush. When news of rich gold deposits on a tributary of the upper Yukon reached San Francisco in the summer of 1897, the U.S. was in the height of a significant recession spawned by the consecutive Panics of 1993 and 1996. With banks failing and unemployment widespread, the promise of gold pulled hard at men from across the country. By 1998 the Klondike Stampede had draw roughly 40,000 inhabitants to the Yukon Territory and an awareness of Alaska and its bounty was born. Today as anglers it is easy to make the case that the state s true gold lies within the salmon resource of Bristol Bay. With annual returns often topping 50 million fish, Bristol Bay remains the best-managed and most sustainable commercial wild salmon fishery in the world. Likewise the rivers of its interior, fueled by annual mass migrations of millions of pounds of rich salmon biomass, are a dream come true for fly anglers in
search of fine species of Pacific salmon, monster rainbows, Dollies, Arctic char, and grayling. Additionally the same ocean reared riches sustain one of the greatest brown bear densities on Earth, making the region a Mecca for wildlife enthusiasts, anglers and hunters. Today this territory is again at risk of being lost without adequate compensation. The proposed Pebble Mine, located in the heart of Bristol Bay s interior, is sponsored by international mining giants Northern Dynasty and Anglo American. Together they are pushing for rights to fully develop one of the largest open pit mines in North America. Once again, gold is on the agenda as is molybdenum and one of the largest copper deposits in the world. The estimated market value of the project already exceeds 400 billion dollars and will likely grow as core sampling continues. The two main players have already dedicated 1.5 billion to enable the project and despite vigorous opposition from commercial fishermen, sport fishermen, tourists, hunters and fans of all things wild, the verdict remains far from sealed.
Considering that the deposit is located overlooking Lake Iliamna, smack dab between the salmon super-drainages of the Nushagak and Kvichak, the stakes are high. In addition to the de-watering of Upper Talarik Creek and the Koktuli, plans call for five massive earthen dams to contain the toxic tailings. The face of the largest dam would be 4.3 miles long and 200 hundred feet taller than Seattle s Space Needle. It s tailing pond would cover 20 square miles and would not feature an employee boat dock, jet skis or beach due to its caustic nature. Is it dangerous? Will it actually cause harm to the fisheries? Can one of the world s largest hard rock mines prosper in harmony with our planet s most productive salmon habitat? In a perfect stable world skilled engineers will tell you yes and they may well be right. But if you look at the environmental track record of hard rock mining (currently ranked as the most destructive and toxic form of resource extraction globally) as
well as the geologic history of the region, one must take pause and seriously question the merits of this proposal. The Great Alaskan Earthquake of 1964 hit the region hard. Lasting more than five minutes, it lead to large-scale landmass liquefaction, a 30 vertical foot rise in portions of nearby Kodiak s landscape, massive tsunamis and indiscriminately destroyed a remarkable array of human engineering. Measured at 9.2 in magnitude, it was the most violent quake in North American history and the second largest earthquake in the recorded history of the world. Ponder that when you evaluate the longterm viability of a 20 square mile tailing pond with a 740 ft tall earthen face because, I am here to tell you, the Ring of Fire s subduction zone and the forces of plate tectonics won t. The images in this essay depict Alaskan landscapes that are near and dear to my heart. I began my career in fly fishing in this region 22 years ago, and in a way that I like, I have never been quite the same. I have seen a great many of our planet s strongest fisheries and wild places, but with the lone exception of the Serengeti, I have never witnessed an ecosystem as alive and vibrant as Bristol Bay s interior. Plentitude abounds. Bears gorge freely without fear in rivers blood red with salmon, and fishermen finally experience what they always knew they deserved. Today the future of the region lies squarely in our hands. Let your opinion be heard and weigh in on the matter because the promise of 400 billion dollars in resource extraction is a formidable and unforgiving opponent that will take effort, heart, hope and persistence to deter. Become involved at: www.sportsmansalliance4ak.org For information on Alaska s finest lodges and outfitters visit www.flywatertravel.com
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