Do the people of Haines see what’s happening with the pristine waters of your gorgeous, untouched coastline? Little by little Haines is being transformed into Any Town USA with the issue of water pollution.
Alaskan salmon are at risk! As reported in the Alaska Fish Factor (CVN 9/15/16, p. 8) the pink salmon fishery failure is being considered a state disaster this year and king salmon on the Chilkat River hit a new low of only 45 fish. It’s been determined that none of this is due to overfishing. Brian Elliott was quoted as saying “There are sources of mortality in our ocean that we cannot identify.” (CVN 9/15/16, p. 9)
What are some sources of potential contaminants that Haines actually has some control over?
Pesticide use: Where do pesticides end up, after upsetting the ecological balance of nature by killing natural predators or prey? They end up in the ground water, the rivers and the ocean.
The Constantine Project: The Bureau of Land Management found that “some harm would occur in the tributaries of the Klehini and Chilkat rivers, but concluded that the activity was ‘not expected’ to harm fish.” (Cited by Guy Archibald, CVN 9/15/16, p. 9)
Steel wall to expand the harbor: When that metal begins corroding, it too will pollute the waters. Of course, most of us won’t be around when that happens, so who cares?
Please wake up before Alaskan waters become as desecrated as rivers and oceans in other parts and everyone loses!
Ardis L. Nelson
Johnson City, TN