Bill > HB233

This bill prohibits metallic sulfide mining activities within the watershed of the Bristol Bay Fisheries Reserve, a region of significant ecological and economic importance in Alaska. The bill provides extensive legislative findings that highlight the watershed's critical value, including its unparalleled salmon diversity, support for Alaska Native cultures, and substantial economic contributions (approximately $2.2 billion annually in fisheries and supporting 15,000 jobs). The legislation builds upon a 1972 legislative action that originally established the Bristol Bay Fisheries Reserve, now seeking to provide additional protection against hardrock mining that could potentially pollute river systems, groundwater, and aquifer systems. Specifically, the bill defines "metallic sulfide mining activities" as mining operations that extract sulfide minerals or precious metals from sulfide-bearing rock, and it explicitly prohibits such activities within the designated watershed. The legislative findings emphasize the need to preserve the region's ecological integrity, cultural significance, and economic potential by preventing mining activities that could pose environmental risks to this unique and valuable ecosystem.

Agriculture and Natural Resources

https://www.akleg.gov/basis/Bill/Detail/34?Root=HB233