Pebble Mine
At Risk of Losing Natural Habitat
Once regarded as untouchable, some of the best brown bear and salmon habitat in the world faces the risk of becoming a mining district, causing indelible harm to the pristine ecosystem at the headwaters of Bristol Bay. The enormous open-pit mine and transportation infrastructure would affect vast tracts of protected land: Katmai National Park, McNeil River State Game Sanctuary, and Lake Clark National Park protect habitat that supports the world’s largest sockeye salmon run, the largest congregation of bears in the world, and the incalculable riches of untouched wilderness. Those protections now hang in the balance.
Pebble Mine: A Corrupt Public Process
Inletkeeper has been fighting alongside Alaskans to stop the Pebble Mine for over 20 years. This mine would be a colossal open-pit copper and gold mine, stretching approximately a mile long, a mile wide, and 200 meters deep, placed at the headwaters of the salmon-rich Nushagak and Kvichak Rivers in Bristol Bay. Placing the mine infrastructure would destroy approximately 3,500 acres of natural lakes, wetlands and ponds, and 81 miles of salmon streams—and that’s only the physical infrastructure, like the pit and buildings. The mine’s tailings, pollutants, and rubble is expected to pollute a gargantuan area, that also is home to some of the best salmon and bear habitat int he world. The Bristol Bay watershed, which this mine would heavily impact, drives nearly 14000 jobs through the local fishing industry, has supported subsistence harvesting for thousands of years, and fuels a massive share of Alaska’s ~$1.5 billion salmon economy.
Despite the majority of Alaskans opposing this mine and vetoes from both the Trump and Biden administrations, the Pebble Mine project is still not dead. In 2023, we celebrated a milestone victory when the EPA finalized Clean Water Act protections that stopped the proposed Pebble Mine from being built in the headwaters of Bristol Bay. But as recently as the summer of 2025, there were reports that the EPA was “actively considering” reversing its own decision and cutting a deal with Pebble’s developers, who filed a lawsuit in 2024 to overturn the veto.
What’s Next?
While the federal courts deliberate, we can take action in Alaska to ensure Bristol Bay’s fishery and habitats remain intact for future generations. In May, Speaker Bryce Edgmon and Rep. Andy Josephson introduced the Bristol Bay Forever Act, a bill that would ban metallic sulfide mines—like Pebble—inside our 36,000-square-mile Bristol Bay Fisheries Reserve. This bill will be up for consideration when the legislature reconvenes in January 2026 and support now will help make it a priority for the new session—and it’s time to take action once more. Our friends at United Tribes for Bristol Bay have made it easy to sign the letter and do your part to protect our salmon, and to safeguard our rights as Alaskans from mining corporations and out-of-state lobbying.
White Whale, Gold Mine
The economic contribution of bear viewing to South Central Alaska
Prepared by: Taylor B. Young & Joseph M. Little
School of Management University of Alaska Fairbanks May 2019
Wild Animals Deserve Wild Places
The following links are to videos and PDF documents for your reference:
Blogs on The Pebble Mine Through the Years
The Fight Over Pebble Mine Isn’t Over: A Legal Update
This week we celebrate as the Department of Justice confirmed that the EPA will continue to defend Bristol Bay and are cautiously optimistic that the ongoing litigation will continue to support the EPA’s robust 404(c) Final Determination.
Salmonfest Salmon Champions 2024
It is our hope that when folks depart from the Salmonfest sea, their hearts are filled with joy and a renewed dedication to the salmon movement in Alaska
The Donlin Gold Mine Equals Disaster
My family has a cabin on the river where we frequently haul supplies on our little boat to fish camp; with a large load, the process is very challenging. With the Donlin project’s barging requirements, safely harvesting fish, bringing our kids to fish camp, and living life safely on our rivers will be nearly impossible.
Salmonpeople are Happy
Thank you to all the happy salmon supporters who connected with us at this year’s Salmonfest. The long hard work paid off, we are always happy to make a splash in the chaotic and joyous vortex that Salmonfest is. From a line-up of Salmon Champions speaking from...
Saying NO to Massive Mines
We are finally experiencing the last ripples of Pebble mine. After decades of powerful advocacy, extensive salmon research, and strong tribal voices, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) vetoed the proposed copper mine threatening the headwaters of Bristol Bay in...
What the #@*% is 404 State Primacy
Wetland permits are critical to large mining and other industrial operations. The Dunleavy Administration, DEC, and mine promoters want to control wetland permitting to streamline the industrialization of areas like the Bristol Bay watershed. Unable to prevail...
Your Efforts for Bristol Bay have Paid off!
The EPA’s decision this week to veto the Pebble Mine and issue Clean Water Act protections for Bristol Bay is a victory for Alaskans and the Bristol Bay and Cook Inlet ecosystems! In all the ways you showed up: at rallies, signing petitions and postcards, with dollars...