There is difficulty with a conservation effort focused on such a remote area as Bristol Bay, Alaska—mainly, getting people to understand how their lives will be personally affected. However, that is exactly what makes it such an important cause and so unlike others I’ve been involved with.

Too many of the projects I’ve worked on have been restoration efforts aimed at fixing what we’ve already broken. Not only are these restoration efforts costly (a tab generally picked up by the taxpayers rather than the perpetrators), but they also rarely replace what was lost.  Bristol Bay is a chance for us to step in before the damage is done. Few of us have personally witnessed what’s at risk in the remote untouched watershed that feeds Bristol Bay, though we will all feel the consequence if it is allowed to be compromised.

Both Senator Maria Cantwell and Senator Patty Murry are very sympathetic to the cause, however, in meetings with Reichert and his staff, they suggested that they need to hear more from the constituents in our district.  Thus, that will be our focus this Thursday night at Snoqualmie Brewery.  After the short presentation from Trout Unlimited and Screening of the documentary Red Gold; we will have form letters for people to sign or edit as they wish, and will encourage people to call into Reichert’s Mercer Island office, (206) 275-3438.

Matt Marinelli

Snoqualmie