LONESOME

To quote Ray Troll, "All the gold in the mountains ain't worth the silver of the sea, the silver of the salmon and what they bring to me." This could be aptly attributed to the population of coastal brown bears. Their very existence and habitat is at risk of destruction from a proposed mining facility (including gold) located 10 miles inside Lake Clark National Park on the Bear Coast of Alaska. Protection of denning habitats, bear food sources, migration corridors, pristine salmon streams, spawning grounds and wetlands should surely be prioritised in this National Park and Preserve over the known and well documented negative impacts on the environment from mining extraction. Why risk irreversible damage to wildlife, watershed contamination from toxic chemicals, in one of the world's most vibrant wilderness ecosystems.

Lake Clark National Park & Preserve, Alaska, USA