In Alaska, we are quite familiar with gold. State lands around the White Mountains are actively being mined for gold with either a suction dredge or with the use of heavy equipment, known as mechanized mining. Both of these methods are damaging to rivers, drinking water and scenic landscapes, which we have already been witness to in Beaver Creek and Birch Creek. These rivers are only now starting to show recovery from mining activity begun in the early 1900s and continuing all the way through the 1980s. Let’s not make the same mistake again.
The White Mountains NRA is unique in that it is both accessible and affordable to the public. This is a recreation area, not a mining district. Rarely do we get the opportunity to voice our opinions to BLM about how they will manage the White Mountains.
Decisions BLM makes now will determine the fate of the White Mountains NRA in the future. Our land needs our voice to protect a national treasure in our backyard: the White Mountains National Recreation Area.
No comments:
Post a Comment