BBDF Release: Bristol Bay Defense Fund Launches Ad Campaign Urging EPA to End the Threat and Veto Pebble Mine Now

This week, the Bristol Bay Defense Fund launched an advertisement campaign that urges the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to end the threat and veto Pebble Mine now. The ads state: “The recorded salmon runs have never been larger. The chorus of Alaskans has never been louder. Return peace to Bristol Bay, veto pebble mine now.”

Read More
Bristol Bay Tribes emphasize need for permanent protections amidst record sockeye return

For the second year in a row, a record number of sockeye have returned to Bristol Bay. Through July 14, Alaska Department of Fish and Game estimates 69.7 million sockeye returned to the Bay and its rivers, breaking the previous record of 67.7 million sockeye, set in 2021. Commercial fishermen have also set a new harvest record for the bay, with 53.3 million sockeye caught through July 14.

Read More
BBDF Press Release: U.S. Representative Huffman, Bristol Bay Tribes, Commercial Fishermen, Conservation Groups Urge EPA to End the Threat of Pebble Mine Now

Bristol Bay Tribes, commercial fishermen, and conservation groups joined U.S. Representative Jared Huffman (CA-02) for a press conference in the House Triangle to urge the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to protect Bristol Bay from the threat of Pebble Mine as soon as possible.

Read More
BBDF Press Release: Tribes, Commercial Fishermen, Conservation Groups Respond to Record Salmon Projections for 2022 Bristol Bay Fishing Season

In February, the Alaska Department of Fish and Game released its 2022 Bristol Bay Commercial Salmon Fishing Outlook, including a projection that 73.4 million sockeye will return to Bristol Bay. The record projections for this fishing season are due to Bristol Bay’s unpolluted and pristine watershed thanks to thousands of years of Indigenous stewardship. For decades, Bristol Bay has been threatened by Pebble Mine – a proposed massive open pit mine at the headwaters of the Bay that would produce up to 10.2 billion tons of waste.

Read More
UTBB welcomes new Deputy Director, Delores Larson

Please join the United Tribes of Bristol Bay in welcoming our new Deputy Director, Delores Larson! For the last five years, Delores has done amazing work at UTBB as the Community Engagement Director and we are very excited for her future with us in this new role. Delores will continue to work remotely from her home community of Koliganek, where she and her husband are raising their family in our subsistence way of life.

Read More
BBDF Press Release: Bristol Bay Defense Fund Launches $100k Ad Campaign Urging EPA to Veto Pebble Mine and Finish the Job

The Bristol Bay Defense Fund launched a new $100k digital, print, and television ad campaign that urges the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to veto Pebble Mine and finish the job of protecting Bristol Bay. The ads will run in Washington, DC and Alaska, with a large presence in Juneau, Alaska.

Read More
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Bristol Bay Tribes Express Disappointment at More EPA Delays, Lack of Tribal Consultation

Bristol Bay Tribes are disappointed that after months of outreach to EPA officials requesting robust Tribal consultation on the process moving forward, EPA’s announcement today further delayed the years-long effort to protect Bristol Bay without hearing our input. The Biden administration and the EPA have committed to consult Tribes in their decision-making process, but this should have taken place before today’s announcement. Now, at least one more fishing season could be imperiled by uncertainty.

Read More
UTBB prepares to say farewell to Deputy Director, looking for applicants to fill position

After five years, UTBB is preparing to wish our Deputy Director Lindsay Layland well as she moves on to follow her passion into a new career path. Lindsay’s skillset & energy were invaluable to our team and the work to protect Bristol Bay. As we get ready for her departure later this spring, UTBB is opening the Deputy Director position for interested applicants.

Read More
BBDF Press Release: BBDF Celebrates Resumption of EPA Process to Protect the Region, Calls on EPA to Finish The Job For Good By Next Fishing Season

In a critical step forward in providing permanent protection to the Bristol Bay watershed and vetoing the Pebble Mine, the Federal District Court officially cleared the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to reinitiate the Clean Water Act 404(c) process that would allow the agency to protect Bristol Bay.

Read More
Bristol Bay Residents, Fishermen & Supporters call on EPA to Protect Bristol Bay on Anniversary of Obama’s visit to the region

On the anniversary of President Barack Obama’s visit to Bristol Bay, United Tribes of Bristol Bay submitted approximately 3,500 comments to the Environmental Protection Agency, asking they use Clean Water Act authority to permanently protect the region from mines like Pebble. Those letters come after about 125,000 letters were sent by supporters in the state and nation so far this year.

Read More