Submitted by nelli_williams on Mon, 2015-02-02 14:02 Vote Up Down +2 + TUAK Logo.jpg Dear members and supporters of TU's Alaska Program, Thank you for your continued support of our work protecting, sustaining and restoring Alaska’s incomparable salmon and trout waters. Working together, we continue to make progress toward our goals and you can read about our recent work in the updates below. The list of accomplishment is impressive but we know this is a team effort and we could not do this work without you, our members and supporters. Along these lines, we want to learn more about you and why you support TU. When you have a moment, please complete this short survey so we can communicate with you on the issues that matter to you the most. Please don’t hesitate to give us a call or send me an email if you have any questions, suggestions or want to learn more about our work. We always enjoy hearing from you. All the best, Tim Bristol P.S. Don’t forget to check out our Facebook page or follow us on Twitter to stay up to date on the latest. TU’s Alaska Program Manager | tbristol@tu.org | (907) 770-1776 Xboundary Film Launch! Watch for the premier of Xboundary on Thursday, February 12, on www.salmonbeyondborders.org DSC_3039.jpg Filmmaker Ryan Peterson during a break from shooting. Photo by Gordon Klco TU’s Alaska Program and Salmon Beyond Borders are pleased to release Xboundary, a new video by Ryan Peterson shot in Southeast Alaska last summer. It showcases the beauty and abundance of this wild region and explores the very real threats Alaska faces from Canadian mining development. Help us spread the word by sharing Xboundary on social media. Protecting Southeast Alaska rivers from B.C. mines The Canadian province is rapidly advancing numerous mining projects, several of which lie in the headwaters of sensitive salmon rivers that flow from B.C. to tidewater in Alaska’s famed Inside Passage. To the dismay of Alaskans, one of the mines, Red Chris, just opened on Feb. 3. It’s located in the headwaters of the Stikine River, one of Alaska’s most renowned salmon producers. Red Chris’ owner, Imperial Metals, is the same company responsible for the Mount Polley mine disaster last August. Another of the largest projects, the Kerr-Sulphurets-Mitchell (or KSM) mine, sits near the king salmon-rich Unuk River which drains into Alaska’s Misty Fjords National Monument, a national treasure. To raise awareness about the threats Southeast Alaska is facing from these acid-generating mines, TU is partnering with commercial and sport fishing groups, tribal leaders, municipal officials, and tourism operators to spear the word about transboundary mining and to request action by the U.S. State Department. READ MORE Bristol Bay: We need you in 2015! After the strong EPA comment period last summer and an overwhelming result of the Ballot initiative in the midterm election, there is no question that Alaskans want Pebble Mine stopped and Bristol Bay protected. Incredibly, a majority of Alaskans voted for the measure to further restrict mining in Bristol Bay in every single precinct across the state. Now, as attacks to the protections we have asked for arise in Congress, we need to ensure our elected officials are listening to Alaskans and fishermen and women….and not a junior mining company. READ MORE and TAKE ACTION. Alaska premeire of the The Breach - Feb. 19th at the Bear Tooth Theater in Anchorage. This award winning movie tells the story of wild salmon in North America, and features interviews by many Alaskans. Full Alaska tour dates will be posted on the Breach's Facebook page soon. Save the Susitna River Campaign The Save the Susitna campaign worked hard during 2014 to increase public awareness concerning the threats of the Susitna dam, both to the state’s budget and Susitna fishery. In December, thanks to the efforts of TU staff, volunteers and a talented coalition of concerned citizens, this hard work paid off; Governor Walker ordered a halt to spending on the state’s proposed mega-projects including the Susitna dam. While this is a major victory, we'll need to remain vigilant in the coming months. READ MORE Putting salmon first in the Tongass Nearly five years ago, the Forest Service announced that it would end old-growth logging of the Tongass and transition to second-growth timber management and invest in other industries such fishing and tourism. TU, in collaboration with a Montana-based research firm, released an economic study in November that documented how the “Tongass Transition” is essentially stalled. The report found that despite the Forest Service pledge, the federal agency continues to pour about $23 million a year – the bulk of its Tongass budget --into subsidizing a minuscule timber industry that accounts for less than one-percent of regional employment. Last year it approved the biggest old-growth timber sale in decades. What gives? READ MORE Bristol Bay River & Guide Academy TU Alaska is again a proud supporter of the Bristol Bay River & Guide Academy. This summer, the week-long guide training will be held at Kulik Lodge in Katmai National Park, and will aim to train 15 Bristol Bay-area youth with skills to pursue renewable resource-based jobs in Alaska's thriving sportfishing industry. CLICK HERE for application information for the 2015 Academy and more information on the program. If you would like to donate gear or sponsor a student please email Nelli for details. You're Invited: 1st Annual Winter Fish Fest Join Southcentral Alaska TU Chapter members for a fun fish-filled evening at the Tap Root Public House in Anchorage. The evening will feature both silent and live auctions with tons of great gear and fishing trips, door prizes, as well as live music from local band, Hot Dish. We have the venue to ourselves from 6:00 pm - 9:00 pm, but be sure to stick around for additional live music after! When: Thursday, February 26th at 6:00pm - 9:00pm Where: Tap Root Public House, 3300 Spenard Rd, in Anchorage Price: $20 for members, $25 for non-members (includes free drink and live music) Click here to RSVP. Upcoming Events in Alaska FEBRUARY February 9-13: Alaska Forum on the Environment - come say hi at he Save the Susitna, Save Bristol Bay and Salmon Beyond Borders booths! Dena'ina Center, Anchorage. Details here. February 15: Ice Fishapalooza. Scout Lake, Soldotna Noon. Details here. February 19: The Breach film screening & panel discussion. Bear Tooth Theater, Anchorage 8:00pm. See event page for details. February 20: The Breach flm screening. Rockwell Ballroom, Juneau 7:00pm. Details will be posted here. February 20: Dead Reckoning, Navigating a Life on the Last Frontier, Courting Tragedy on its High Seas Book Talk/Reading. Kenai Peninsula College, Kachemak Bay Branch, Homer 6:30pm. February 21 + 22: The Breach film screening & Bristol Bay sockeye dinner special. New York Cafe, Ketchikan. Time TBD. Details will be posted here. February 24: The Breach film screening. Blue Loon Theater, Fairbanks 6:00pm. Details will be posted here. February 26: Southcentral AK Chapter 1st Annual Winter Fish Fest. Tap Root Public House, Anchorage 6:00pm. Click here for details. February 26: The Breach film screening and subsistence food potluck. Middle School Gym, Dillingham 7:30pm. Details will be posted here. MARCH March 18: Anchorage "Bar Flies." Crossbar Restaurant 8pm March 19: Kenai Peninsula Chapter General Meeting. Oldies Delli, Soldotna 6:30pm. March 20: Southcentral AK Chapter Meeting. Details will be posted here. March 27-29: Say hi to the Save the Susitna Campaign at the Mat-Su Outdoorsman Show. Menard Sports Center, Wasilla. Details here. APRIL April 2-5: Great Alaska Sportsman's Show. Sullivan & Ben Boeke Arenas, Anchorage. Details here. April 18: Fly Fishing Film Tour & Silent Auction. Kenai Convention & Visitor's Center, Kenai. Doors at 6:00pm. From the Field: Meet TU Intern, Liz Purdy Liz joined TU's Alaska Program last fall as she works toward her Master's degree in Sustainable Development. Read more about Liz's work with TU here.