Dear Alaskan legislator,

I am an Alaskan resident who values and relies on our wild salmon resources. Wild Alaska salmon feeds our families, is part of the fabric of our culture, our communities, and our local and state economies. Recent polling confirms Alaskans strong connection to salmon placing the health and abundance of our salmon fisheries as a top priority, even higher than their concern about jobs. In fact, nearly nine-in-ten Alaskans agree that even during difficult economic times, Alaska should still protect salmon, salmon streams, and salmon habitat.

Despite the Governor’s repeated assurance to never trade one resource for another, there are proposed development projects that will destroy healthy wild Alaska salmon habitat, posing unacceptable risks to our salmon resources. One such project, the proposed Chuitna coal strip mine would actually mine directly through 11 miles of salmon streams in the Kenai Peninsula Borough, completely removing the stream and destroying important wild salmon spawning and rearing habitat. If permitted, this would be the first time the State of Alaska would allow a mining company to mine directly through a salmon stream, creating a terrible precedent for the entire state where no salmon stream is safe; denying future generations of our rich salmon resources.

There is currently no law that prevents mining through a salmon stream.  We the undersigned are asking you, as our elected representatives to take a stand for wild Alaska salmon and never allow mining through a salmon stream. 

Responsible development does not destroy salmon spawning and rearing habitat; the Chuitna coal strip mine is not responsible development. 

We should never trade salmon that feeds Alaskan families for coal to power Asian economies.  

Thank you for protecting our salmon resources.
 
Sincerely,