The public meeting this week – in which the Department of Environmental Conservation explained about possible Tier 3 protection for the Chilkat River – was ugly. The rudeness of many was reminiscent of meetings in the early 1980s about protection of Chilkat eagles. What was most disturbing were insults directed at Klukwan for proposing that we look into protecting the water quality of the Chilkat – their lifeblood, as well as ours.
It didn’t matter that DEC patiently clarified so many misconceptions – explaining that Tier 3 status (under the Clean Water Act) would not impact any of our current uses, including logging operations, outboard motor boats, road and home-building, etc. It’s mostly about whether we want to assure that our fish are safe for future generations in the face of possible large-scale mining operations and whether the mine is willing to meet the highest possible standards – a reasonable concern for Klukwan, the community that will be most impacted. It’s also a reasonable concern for all of us, if we consider how lowered water quality has destroyed fish populations in the U.S. West and elsewhere.
I was saddened to witness the verbal attacks on Jones and Lani Hotch, even after Jones’ eloquent presentation. It seems worthwhile to at least explore Tier 3 status for the Chilkat. Our leading industries – fishing and tourism – would likely benefit from this. We need only to remind ourselves of how the creation of the eagle preserve, feared by many at the time, has turned out to be such a benefit to our community.
George Figdor