Katmai National Park, Bristol river system and local environment is now under threat with Pebbles Mine proposal
The Secretary of the Interior, Ryan Zinke recently encouraged the application for an open pit strip mine digging for gold in the Bristol Bay area. The previous administration had opposed this and wouldn't allow them to apply. The U.S. Corps of Engineers will have to approve the permit after reviewing the environmental impact. If this is allowed it will do serious and permanent damage to the local river system and Katmai National Park, home of the largest sockeye salmon run in the world. This is an environment which is dependent on the salmon as the key species. Local Native Americans have fished these waters for centuries and depend on the salmon for their tribal economy. Wild life such as the Alaskan brown bear and other creatures make their living eating these salmon. The bears also drive a lucrative tourism industry which attracts people from all over the world that come to see the bears in their natural setti...