Senator Murkowski urges President Biden to significantly change U.S. policy toward Canadian mining and “critical” minerals until protections established for threatened wild salmon rivers

Alaska’s senior senator’s letter elevates requests made by Southeast Alaska Tribes, municipalities, fishermen and the public directly to the President

JUNEAU, ALASKA — Salmon Beyond Borders, Alaska Longline Fishermen’s Association and Alaska Trollers Association commend Senator Lisa Murkowski for urging President Joe Biden to deny U.S. subsidies to Canadian mining operations until long-standing, existential Canadian mining threats to rivers flowing into Alaska are adequately addressed. In a letter to President Biden dated Sept. 15 and only now made public, Senator Murkowski urges President Biden: “not to allocate any U.S. funding to Canadian projects in the transboundary watershed in general, and to withhold all U.S. support for [mining] projects within Canada until… conditions are met.”

The request, if heeded by the Biden Administration, would amount to a significant change to articulated U.S. critical minerals strategy in an attempt to address the fact that at least 30 abandoned, exploratory, proposed, developing, and operating B.C. gold-copper mines already pollute and/or threaten to further contaminate the Taku, Stikine-Iskut, Unuk, and Nass rivers, as well as the transboundary Portland Canal, with acid mine drainage, selenium, and other toxicants.

“The United States should be fighting, not funding, the destruction of our wild salmon rivers, which are biodiversity hotspots and natural climate solutions,” said Breanna Walker, Salmon Beyond Borders director. “British Columbia, Canada’s push to build gold mines along our transboundary rivers without our consent poses a looming threat to all of us downstream. We offer our heartfelt appreciation to Senator Murkowski for ensuring that President Biden knows it and we urge the President to listen to Senator Murkowski, Tribes, municipalities, Representative Mary Peltola, Alaska State legislators, and thousands of concerned citizens, and establish a binding, international framework through which Tribes, municipalities, fishermen and others can ensure a sustainable future.

“Alaska has a deep commitment to maintaining healthy fish habitat,” said Linda Behnken, executive director of the Alaska Longline Fishermen’s Association. “But our hands are tied when the habitat threat is outside our boundaries. We deeply appreciate Senator Murkowski and Representative Peltola’s advocacy for our fish and fisheries and we urge President Biden to listen to those calling for strong enforceable international protection for this valuable, sustainable resource.”

“Clean, cold, clear, connected freshwater habitat is essential to the health of wild salmon anywhere they’re found,” said Alaska Trollers Association Executive Director Amy Daughterty. “The Alaska Trollers Association thanks Senator Murkowski for urging President Biden to stand behind our, Representative Mary Peltola, and others’ requests that we ensure a healthy, sustainable, wild-salmon-rich future for the Taku, Stikine and Unuk — some of the most pristine wild salmon rivers left on the planet.”

Senator Murkowski’s two conditions are, first, that Canada immediately clean up its abandoned Tulsequah Chief mine, which has been polluting the transboundary Taku River near Juneau for more than 65 years. Second, “The U.S. must support the request of Alaska Tribes, municipalities, business owners, and residents to establish a robust international framework that strengthens governance while preventing and resolving disputes over the use of shared waters,” Murkowski wrote. “The Boundary Waters Treaty of 1909 and the International Joint Commission offer both authorities and mechanisms that can be used for a binding bilateral agreement, which should include best practices as well as clear requirements for financial assurances and liability.”

Almost two dozen Southeast Alaska Tribes and municipalities, as well as Tribes and First Nations across the Pacific Northwest, have passed resolutions and sent letters urging President Biden and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to demand a temporary pause on new mining activity and a permanent ban on B.C.’s failure-prone mine waste dams in transboundary systems. Fishing organizations, businesses, and thousands of individual citizens have made the same requests.

Read a press release about the letter from the Central Council of the Tlingit & Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska.

Representative Mary Peltola announced her support for an International Watershed Board in April.