Homer Alaska - Letters

I came up to Alaska for a summer job and fell in love. I was lucky enough to live in Homer, what I think is one of the most beautiful cities, working for a local nonprofit. The job entailed some traveling around, so I was lucky enough to get to Kenai to watch some of the amazing dipnetting tradition.

Over the course of the summer I have learned so much about Alaskans and the connection with the water, the tides and of course the connection everyone has with the fish. Coming from the Lower 48, I hadn't really tasted salmon until I had some wild Alaskan salmon. The thought of this being threatened by the proposed Chuitna Coal Mine is very upsetting. This out- of-state company wants to come in and destroy 11 miles of salmon streams, something that should not be allowed.

I understand that this same seam of coal runs under the entire Kenai Peninsula, meaning that if this happens, all other salmon streams will no longer have protection. We need to protect this wild and sustainable resource.

Liana Skibbie