At Deneki Outdoors, it’s part of our mission to protect the places and the resources that allow us to bring you on a trip-of-a-lifetime experience. In southwest Alaska, we’ve worked alongside our fellow lodge owners and sportfishing advocates who have fought hard for years against the proposed Pebble Mine, a copper and gold mega-mine that was slated for the headwaters of Bristol Bay.
In 2020, many of the guides at Rapids Camp Lodge joined Trout Unlimited’s Save Bristol Bay Guide Ambassador Program to gear up with the knowledge and skills to be effective spokespeople for the region that has overwhelmingly opposed the Pebble mine for over two decades. Our guides- and many of you who signed petitions, made phone calls, donated to Trout Unlimited’s campaign, and rocked the ‘No Pebble mine’ sticker- were part of the wave of opposition that ultimately led to Pebble’s key federal permit being denied by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers on November 25th, 2020.
With the key federal permit denied, Pebble is virtually stopped. However, the Canadian mining company continues to try to advance the project through an ongoing appeal process, and we know that without durable and permanent protections for the region, Bristol Bay still has a target on its back from the hardrock mining industry.
Our partners at Trout Unlimited have renewed their commitment to Bristol Bay as we enter a new chapter to advance permanent safeguards for the fish, people, and fish-based industries in Southwest Alaska. In 2021, many of our guides have answered the call again and will serve as Save Bristol Bay Guide Ambassadors to help spread the word and direct anglers who care about Bristol Bay to take action.
We are pleased to share that the Save Bristol Bay Guide Ambassadors at Rapids Camp Lodge in 2021 will be Chad Bryson (head guide), Jeremy Inman, Brent Borcherdt, and Grace Phillips. If you’ve fished with these guides in the past, or plan to fish with them when you visit this season, we encourage you to ask them for the latest update on permanent protections for Bristol Bay, and what you can do to join the next chapter of the conservation efforts for southwest Alaska.
At the end of the day, we can’t fish without clean water and healthy habitat. We want assurance that the Pebble mine, or other mining initiatives, won’t threaten your ability to fish Bristol Bay’s incredible waters in the future. It’s up to all of us to stand up for this special place, and together with our partners at Trout Unlimited, we know we can achieve greater protections for Bristol Bay this year.
Learn more about Trout Unlimited’s Save Bristol Bay campaign here.
Meet your Guide Ambassadors:
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