A billion-dollar salmon fishery hangs in the balance as Pebble Mine resurfaces. The long-running fight over the proposed Bristol Bay mine is back in the national spotlight, and hunters and anglers should be paying attention. At the center of the debate is the Pebble Mine, a massive open-pit mining project slated for the headwaters of the world’s largest wild sockeye salmon run. For decades, Bristol Bay has been a cornerstone of Alaska salmon fishing, supporting a billion-dollar commercial fishery and world-class sport fishing for wild sockeye. It’s also vital habitat for trout fishing, bear hunting, and subsistence lifestyles that depend on intact salmon runs. The concern has always been simple: large-scale mining in the watershed could devastate spawning habitat and permanently damage one of the greatest fisheries on earth. After the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers denied a key permit in 2020, the Environmental Protection Agency issued a rare veto in 2023 under Section 404(c) of the Clean Water Act. Now, the Department of Justice has reinforced that veto in court, defending the decision to block the mine as proposed. For sportsmen and women who value sustainable fisheries, wild salmon conservation, and the North American Model of Wildlife Conservation, this is a major moment. The outcome will shape how America balances resource development with the protection of critical hunting and fishing habitat for generations. Follow the show for more weekly hunting and fishing conversations. Get the FREE Sportsmen’s Voice e-publication in your inbox every Monday: www.congressionalsportsmen.org/newsletter Follow The Sportsmen’s Voice wherever you get your podcasts: https://podfollow.com/1705085498 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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“What did the council decide on item 42?” — answered with the speaker and the moment.

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