Homer Alaska - Letters

A record number of Alaskans benefitted from this summer's incredible salmon runs. Future subsistence, sport fishing, and personal use dipnetting depends on Alaskans insisting the state protect all salmon rivers and streams.

PacRim Coal's Chuitna coal mine will dig a 350-foot deep hole across 11 miles of Middle Creek, a salmon stream on the other side of Cook Inlet, if the Parnell administration approves the plan. Alaska has never allowed the wholesale destruction of a salmon stream. Which river might be next?

Tell Gov. Parnell your concerns about destroying a productive salmon stream for an open pit coal mine that will ship the ore to China. Remember, the governor would "never trade one resource for another."

Salmon is a mainstay of Alaska's economy, subsistence and lifestyle. An open pit mine will never be restored to what this natural productive salmon stream is now. The Chuitna coal strip mine is a bad idea that should not move forward. Please speak out to save this salmon stream before we start losing rivers one by one.

Nina Faust