Act now to protect the Cook Inlet beluga whales

Help protect Bristol Bay!

Dear folks, Bristol Bay has it all – breathtaking natural beauty, an abundance of wildlife and some of the world’s largest populations of salmon. But a recent move by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) could put the entire bay in serious jeopardy. TAKE ACTION: Help protect Bristol Bay. Every year, tens of millions of wild salmon return to Bristol Bay, supporting 14,000 American jobs, over $90 million in recreation and tourism revenue and an incredible variety of wildlife ranging from Pacific walrus to belugas to brown bears. But a Canadian company wants to build a gold and copper mine in this sensitive ecosystem, and the potentially disastrous impacts for wildlife are crystal clear. The proposed Pebble Mine would be up to two miles wide and: Require massive earthen dams to keep toxic waste products from leaching into the area’s surface and groundwater; Require the construction of a new fossil fuel plant and a 100-mile road straight across valuable wilderness habitat; Divert nearly 35 billion gallons of water a year from rivers that are crucial to salmon populations; and Expose endangered Cook Inlet beluga whales to an increased risk of ship strikes as massive vessels move in an out of lower Cook Inlet to service the mine. Ricardo, over 1.5 million Americans supported a 2014 EPA decision to protect Bristol Bay under the Clean Water Act – a decision that was based on the outcome of dozens of community meetings and detailed scientific study. But on July 14th, the EPA changed its mind and is now seeking to remove this hard-won protection, marking a HUGE shift in the agency’s approach to protecting the nation’s clean waters and the species found in them. This is just one more example of how the anti-wildlife Trump administration is turning a blind eye to the health and welfare of America’s wildlife and wild places. HELP SAVE SALMON AND COOK INLET BELUGA >> The Pebble Mine has been opposed by Alaska Native tribes, fisherman, local business owners, sportsmen and conservationists alike. Protections for Bristol Bay should NOT be overturned. ACT NOW: Don’t let the Trump EPA put the short-term interests of a foreign mining company above the long-term health of a world class salmon fishery and the wildlife that call this region home. Thank you for taking action and for all you do for wildlife. Sincerely, Karla Dutton Alaska Program Director Defenders of Wildlife

Defenders of Wildlife leads the pack when it comes to protecting wild animals and plants in their natural communities

Defenders of Wildlife | 1130 17th St NW, Washington, DC 20036 | defenders.org Defenders of Wildlife is a national, nonprofit membership organization dedicated to the protection of all native wild animals and plants in their natural communities. © Copyright 2017 Defenders of Wildlife