The gigantic Pebble copper and gold prospect in Southwest Alaska is one of the touchiest topics in Alaska today.
In this blog, I'll track news that is significant or interesting about the Pebble project. I'll also try to generate discussion and information sharing about some of the claims and counterclaims about the project, and mining in general.
Please keep your comments courteous and on topic. If you violate the ADN comment policy, your posts will be deleted.
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About Elizabeth Bluemink ebluemink@adn.com
I've been writing about mining in Alaska since 2004 and without a doubt, it is one of the most interesting topics that I cover at the Daily News. I've been a newspaper reporter for the past 10 years. In the Deep South, I specialized in reporting about environmental conflicts and pollution cleanups. For two years, I covered commercial fishing, mining and logging in Southeast Alaska. In my current job as a Daily News business reporter, I write about mining, tourism, Native corporations and other businesses.
Pebble Update - 9/5/2008 11:57 am
Red Dog Mine settlement in final stretch - 9/3/2008 4:09 pm
Anglo in Canada - 9/2/2008 10:58 am
Tuesday night's election story - 8/28/2008 10:00 am
Various statements today on Measure 4 - 8/27/2008 8:07 pm
Measure 4 results from around Alaska - 8/27/2008 2:53 pm
It's back up - 8/23/2008 2:01 pm
New York Times - 8/22/2008 8:13 pm
Is this ad right? (updated) - 8/22/2008 7:38 pm
The state's Measure 4 web site - 8/22/2008 7:12 pm
Measure 4-related item from ADN's politics blog.... - 8/22/2008 4:58 pm
APOC - 8/22/2008 2:18 pm
APOC: Web site must come down - 8/21/2008 10:20 pm
A Pebble/Measure 4 Poem - 8/21/2008 12:24 pm
Ballot Measure 4 updates - 8/21/2008 12:05 pm
Update on tomorrow's ballot measure debate - 8/19/2008 6:10 pm
The state weighs in - 8/19/2008 3:07 pm
Bloggers go wild on Ballot Measure 4, Pebble - 8/18/2008 6:34 pm
New role for Renewable Resources Coalition - 8/13/2008 5:17 pm
Native corps and Ballot Measure 4 - 8/12/2008 12:21 pm
Acid mine drainage - 8/6/2008 5:56 pm
Debate on Ballot Measure 4: Aug. 20 - 8/6/2008 4:00 pm
Posted: June 10, 2008 - 11:49 am
The Canneries, Cabins and Caches of Bristol Bay, Alaska by John Branson
I've been taking a look at this recently-published coffee-table book stuffed with old photos, interviews and journal entries about early twentieth century life along the Nushagak, Kvichak and Naknek rivers. The author is John Branson, who works as a historian for the Lake Clark National Park and Preserve. Branson has lived and sampled several different occupations -- commercial fishing, teaching, etc. -- in the region since 1969.
What a shock: for now, at least, the book, funded and published by the National Park Service, is free. (I'm told there are many copies available.) All you have to do is send a written request to the Lake Clark National Park administrative headquarters in Anchorage to get one. The address is 240 W. 5th Ave., Suite 236, Anchorage, AK 99501. The fax number is 644-3810.
The theme of the book is historical preservation. There's a lot of detail about fishing operations, subsistence hunting and a tad bit about gold prospecting. The book discusses the dramatic changes the commericial fisheries brought to Native communities.
In the book's preface, Branson points out that oil and gas development and mining have the potential to transform the region into an industrial zone. He is concerned about a possible future in which "the old ways are but dim memories because of a diminution in the biological foundation of fresh water and fisheries."
In terms of historical preservation, Branson writes:
Those who sailed double-enders for red salmon in the Bristol Bay area are now 70 years of age and older. Many canneries have succumbed to fire, coastal erosion and piecemeal disassembly for prized lumber ... most of the canneries, cabins and caches pictured now rest in quiet oblivion. It is in the public interest, both for present and future generations, to document this period of Bristol Bay history in one volume, before all the actors have completely left the stage.
June 11, 2008 - 10:36am | ebluemink
if you want to know what he is talking about...
I suggest you read the book!
I've dipped in and out of it and was interested to find there was very little "pining for the old days,"
In fact, from looking at it, I'd question whether what you just posted is completely accurate.
Here's the relevant snippet: "The powerful salmon industry saw to it that a regulation was enacted mandating that only sailboats be used in the Bristol Bay after 1923."
Outlawing the motor boats was billed as a "conservation measure" but was "clearly designed to keep fishermen under control of the operators."
Again, these are just snippets.
I need to put the book down and get back to my next story.
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June 12, 2008 - 2:01pm | ThorZone
You are right - I did not read the book. I read your article. That is where I got the quote from.
I just have a problem with a book that should be paid for by the private sector being paid for with tax dollars...or was that part of the article incorrect also....
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June 12, 2008 - 2:58pm | ebluemink
part of the mission of the Park Service in AK
is preserving the human history on park lands....so the folks at Lake Clark NP would probably disagree that publishing historical narratives, historical photos, journals, etc. is a bad use of tax dollars.
Hey, it's probably cheaper than refurbishing an old cannery and opening it up to tourists.
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June 12, 2008 - 8:16pm | PuckFebble
Firstly, with the rampant spending that goes unchecked from our President, its not real tax dollars. Its Chinese and Saudi bought T-bonds. Its not our tax dollars, its our grandkids money.
As for canneries, well I know the Peter Pan Cannery(which wasnt on your water pollution list BTW) offers daily tours in the summer for people. But it wouldnt surprise me that in 20 years, there might be some abandoned canneries come on the market for real
cheap :(
But I doubt they would be used for tourism purposes. I know there are thousands of tourists who come to the bay to fish, but somehow flying directly over the pit scar could diminish that as well. I know I have invited all of my non-bay resident family to come out fishing before Pebble happens to they can see it the way it was meant to be.
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1 June 10, 2008 - 8:39pm | PuckFebble
is a collection of stories called "Our Story". It is available I believe through the Nushagak Mulchatna Wood-Tikchik Land Trust. In audio format it is available for download through www.kdlg.org as narratted by Tim Troll. I highly recommend both.
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June 10, 2008 - 11:46pm | alaskaman15
Hopefully it won't be a history book
last great salmon run gone, Pebble mine took it away....
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June 12, 2008 - 8:24pm | PuckFebble
With all the improvements in the fishery since its(hopefully) final downturn 10-12 years ago, all of the fisher/processor improvements, and marketing is being put into limbo.
Proving wild pristine salmon is better than farmed, a great effort to improve quality through brailer bag limits, the use of slush/RSW, direct marketing, less canned, more fillets, and an overall concern for improving the quality of the product, all of that work, undertaken by thousands of fishers, despite higher operating expenses incurred by them, is being put at direct risk. Of all the proposals for mega projects in this state, from a tunnel connecting Russia to Alaska, to a mega dam on the Susitna, Pebble has got to be by far the dumbest idea I have heard in a long time in this state.
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3 June 11, 2008 - 9:59am | ThorZone
Take another piece of my hide - Tax money wasted
"the old ways are but dim memories because of a diminution in the biological foundation of fresh water and fisheries."
I don't know what this guy is talking about. In one breath he pines for the old days of double ender sailing craft that fished in Bristol Bay, then in the next he is saying the "biological foundation" is trashed.
The fact is there is a much larger fish run today than there ever was during the time of the double enders. Instead of managing the fishery, the federal government (the people who ran the show before statehood) decided to outlaw motor powered fishing boats as a conservation method.
This was because the feds were too lazy or too ignorant to manage the fishery for abundance. Since the state has taken over fish management in Bristol Bay they have managed for abundance and there are many times more fish today than there was 75 years ago.
I would prefer that the park service did not waste my tax dollars on something like this that appears to be of questionable accuracy at best.
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