America's Salmon Forest
  • The Tongass
    • See the Tongass
    • Watch the Tongass
  • get the facts
    • Canadian Mining
    • Climate
    • Fish Habitat Project
    • Public Lands
    • Roadless Rule
    • The Tongass 77
  • Get Involved
    • Stay Up to Date
    • Community Science
    • Canadian Mining
  • News
    • News
    • Blog
    • Press Releases
  • About Us
    • Our Team
    • Contact Us
  • Donate

Blog

British Columbia mining along the transboundary rivers of Southeast Alaska

8/14/2020

 
As the locals are busy preparing and repairing our nets, tying flies, climbing mountains, harvesting berries and smoking our salmon; the vibration of salmon season can be felt throughout Southeast Alaska.
​
In the Southeast Alaska region, the Taku, Stikine, and Unuk Rivers form the backbone of the salmon culture. All are un-dammed, largely pristine and support significant commercial, sport and customary and traditional fisheries in Southeast Alaska. The Taku River is often Southeast Alaska’s largest overall salmon producer, with the region’s most prolific runs of coho (silver) and king (Chinook) salmon and the Stikine River is usually a close second. The Unuk river is one of Southeast’s top five king salmon producers and its hooligan (eulachon, or candlefish) run provides an important customary and traditional fishery.
Picture
The thing that these three major watersheds have in common is that they are transboundary watersheds, meaning their headwaters begin in British Columbia in Canada, and they flow into the Pacific Ocean in Alaska. Currently, B.C. is in the midst of a mining boom. There are now 15 large-scale mines in various stages of exploration, development and operation in watersheds that flow from Canada into the U.S.
Lax mining regulations and low standards for financial bonding have encouraged the industry’s expansion in the region, but at what cost? These mine sites sit within the Taku, Stikine and Unuk watersheds, that all have high fisheries values.

Currently, there are no enforceable, comprehensive policies for upstream transboundary large-scale development, which means the U.S. wild salmon and trout, clean water and the jobs they support remain unprotected. Alaska bears nearly all the environmental risk and burden of these mines, with none of the economic reward.

The Taku, Stikine, and Unuk rivers are prime examples of the vast and wild country that sportsmen and women love and cherish. Because of this, it is imperative to speak up for these natural areas that Southeast Alaska depends on.
Please support the long-term health of the Taku, Stikine and Unuk rivers by adding your name to this letter.

Comments are closed.
    Submit your own story!

    Categories

    All
    People Of Southeast
    Public Lands
    Roadless
    Timber Sale
    Tongass 77

    Archives

    November 2021
    October 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    January 2021
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    July 2018
    May 2018
    February 2018
    November 2017
    June 2017
    March 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    November 2015
    October 2015
    August 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012

    RSS Feed

AMERICA'S SALMON FOREST 

is a coalition of sport, commercial, and subsistence fishermen, business owners and operators as well as private citizens working together to conserve high-quality salmon and trout spawning and rearing habitat in the Tongass, America's largest national forest.

CONNECT
JOIN THE CONVERSATION

Join Us!
  • The Tongass
    • See the Tongass
    • Watch the Tongass
  • get the facts
    • Canadian Mining
    • Climate
    • Fish Habitat Project
    • Public Lands
    • Roadless Rule
    • The Tongass 77
  • Get Involved
    • Stay Up to Date
    • Community Science
    • Canadian Mining
  • News
    • News
    • Blog
    • Press Releases
  • About Us
    • Our Team
    • Contact Us
  • Donate