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Sunset over Lake Nerka
                                    Sunset over Lake Nerka (Todd Raden, Creative Commons)


Greetings!

  

Bristol Bay in southwestern Alaska is one of America's truly pristine, remaining wild places.

 

Its waters provide critical habitat for some of the world's highest concentrations of whales, seals, walrus, seabirds, salmon, crab, and halibut. Bay fisheries, including the largest run of wild sockeye salmon in the world, contribute up to about forty percent of America's wild seafood, support vibrant sport fishing industries, and sustain centuries-old Native subsistence traditions.

 

This natural treasure is threatened by corporations eying underwater oil and gas deposits - even though projected drilling revenues are far less than the billions generated annually by sustainable fishing.

 

After the disastrous Exxon Valdez oil spill, the federal government bought back oil and gas leases in Bristol Bay, but did not rule out future exploitation. The Obama Administration temporarily prohibited new drilling through 2017 - but the inevitable push to drill will resume unless permanent action is taken.

 

Please urge Secretary of Interior Ken Salazar to permanently protect Bristol Bay from offshore oil and gas development.

 

Bristol Bay's unique and stunning beauty, its wildlife, and its irreplaceable fishery should be a lasting legacy for all Americans. Some places are just too special and valuable to drill. Bristol Bay is one of them.

 

Thank you for joining the Marine Conservation Institute to protect wild ocean places like Bristol Bay.

For the Earth,

 

Elliott First Name Signature

Elliott A. Norse, Ph.D.

President, Marine Conservation Institute