No Action
Dear Editor: I attended the Sitka Conservation Society presentation on the proposed Pebble Mine project, which is travelling around the state to inform, and gather support to stop the Pebble Mine. I was deeply moved by the passion, perseverance, articulated complexity of the issue and honest, informative truth shared; and it made me realize that we need ALL Alaskans on-board to protect the largest wild salmon runs, of all five salmon species, on our beleaguered Earth that spawn and return to the Bristol Bay region of our pristine, far-flung, diverse and abundantly resource rich state of Alaska. Having had the wonderful experience of participating in the drift net fishery in the mid to late ’70s in Egegik, Naknek, Kvichak and Nushagak, I, too, feel tied to that land in vivid memories of our great state that took me in as an immigrant 45 years ago. Alaska has been so good to me.
It is time to give back, and protect our wild salmon runs in Bristol Bay by flooding Sen. Lisa Murkowski’s office with calls, (907)271-3735 and (202)224-6665, and emphatically stating, the simple wording, ‘‘NO ACTION on Pebble Mine!’’ SHE NEEDS TO HEAR FROM TENS OF THOUSANDS OF ALASKANS for our voices to have clout, and major impact on protecting our fellow Alaskans’ Bristol Bay culture and way of life whose salmon runs are paramount and integral to the region’s cultural identity and economic prosperity. This very real threat to the world’s largest wild salmon runs holds a repercussive effect for our entire state, and the vast Pacific Ocean, whose rippling effects would affect the maritime environment globally. The public comment period has been extended to June 29, please call today, and again in June! Talking points can be found at Save Bristol Bay, and official written comments can be logged at Pebble Project EIS Alaskans. This is a call to action to state, ‘‘NO ACTION ON PEBBLE MINE!’’ Let us stand with our neighbors in Bristol Bay in this fight to protect our wild salmon.
Thank you for the opportunity to comment.
Karen Lucas, Sitka
Landslide Warning
Dear Editor: The Sitka Sound Science Center is working collaboratively with a team of researchers and local agencies on landslide research. Part of the team developing a landslide warning system came to town last week and, thanks to the interest and involvement from the community, designing a landslide warning system is off to a good start.
This three-year project is funded by the National Science Foundation and is being conducted in conjunction with the University of Oregon, the RAND Corporation, University of Southern California, Sitka Tribe of Alaska, and the U.S. Geologic Survey.
On Tuesday, geoscientist Josh Roering from the University of Oregon led a small group up Mt. Verstovia to scope out possible locations for soil moisture sensors. Thank you to Jacquie Foss and Aaron Prussian at the Forest Service for hosting Dr. Roering’s field excursions throughout the week. Tuesday evening, UAS hosted a special natural history seminar meant to introduce the research team and their work. Thank you to Kitty LaBounty at University of Alaska Southeast for organizing that and to the National Park Service and the Sitka Alaska Permanent Charitable Trust for support sponsoring that series.
On Wednesday, with participants from the City of Sitka, SEARHC, Sitka Tribe of Alaska, U.S. Forest Service, Sitka Public Schools, Grace Harbor church, University of Alaska Southeast, Alaska Division of Geological and Geophysical Surveys, Silver Bay Seafoods, Raven Radio and the Sitka Sound Science Center, a workshop was held to get initial community input on how a landslide warning system could work best for our community. We owe a tremendous amount of thanks to all participants, as well as The Backdoor Café, Rising Tide Bagels and Our Town Catering for providing coffee, breakfast and lunch. None of this would have been possible without the outstanding service and space at Harrigan Centennial Hall.
As part of the community engagement portion in the project, researchers participated in the Scientist in the Schools program. Senior behavioral and social scientist Dr. Ryan Brown and assistant policy researcher Max Izenberg, both with the RAND Corporation, worked in the eighth-grade classrooms exposing students to careers in social science and exploring how various forms of communication networks help inform the framework of a warning system.
Thank you also to the Sitka Sentinel for promoting the public events and to KCAW for their news and talk shows.
Cora Siebert,
Geoscience Coordinator,
Sitka Sound Science Center
