Headwaters

Coming out of Retirement to Call Bullshit

OK,  I'll admit I've been in blogger retirement of sorts, not that it was ever a career. But I am pissed off, so I'm coming out retirement if only for a post or two, who knows maybe it will become habit again. 

Look folks, I know there is Pebble Mine fatigue. It has been going on endlessly for about 8 years and really picked up steam as of late.Fly fishing blogs are constantly ranting about it. News media, especially in Alaska, remain saturated with the topic. Social media remains abuzz, espcially lately. You've probably signed petitions, online comments, etc ad nauseum. I get it. It is exhausting.

But here is the deal:

The state of Alaska is no friend to salmon and huge friend to industry. This year the state is on a fast track to try to "streamline" permitting, cut Alaskans out of the process, and open the door for mega-projects like Pebble. Now more than ever we need EPA's help and they are doing what they can. But, they need to hear from you.

On April 26, EPA released it's second draft Watershed Assesment. And in short, it says what we think it says - Pebble or any such mining is bad for Bristol Bay. In response to this Assesmsnet, we are half way through a 30 day comment period. Hence the reason comment links to EPA comment flying around through facebook and social media from Trout Unlimited and other hard working groups right now.

You've probably seen videos like this one:

 

Or this one:

 

Let me be crystal clear these are not simply some fluffy attempt to make you feel limportant, engaged or have a say.  YOU DO HAVE A SAY. People are not just churning out this media, flooding the airwaves so we can feel good about ourselves, we are trying to motivate you to get off your ass.

So, get off your ass. Shit, you can even win trips to Bristol Bay. What more do you need?

Your comments count. Every single one of them.

Why am I pissed off? Remember when I ranted last year about how if you don't engage in conservation you have no right to be out on the stream. Well I still stand by that rant. And it seems folks can't take a few minutes to tell a federal agency to do their job and Stop Pebble Mine. 

How do I know? Because comments are public record and anyone can keep tabs on how many comments are coming in and where they are from. And to date -  only about 6000 sportsmen have commented. That is TERRIBLE.

Let's do the math - there are 60 Million anglers in the United States. There are roughly 5-6 Milllion fly fishers. There are 150,000 members of Trout Unliited (the disparity in this number is another topic that pisses me off), but yet only about 6000 anglers and sportsmen have written to EPA. That is someithing like .01% of American anglers. Are you kidding me? 

You have time to post pictures of your awesome fish on facebook, but you don't have time to personalize and sign a pre-drafted petition to EPA? 

So here's the deal. Stop reading this post. Go comment to EPA through this LINK. Heck, take note, tell friends, you can win a trip to Bristol Bay.

But now is the time, so go do it.

Pebble Dismisses Sportsmen

I will have a thorough write up on my two weeks listening to Pebble's presentations and the critiques offered by the panelists in teh keystone process/meetings shortly (I have 80 pages of notes). But this is worth getting out there now:

ISER Researcher Criticizes Pebble Data, Shively Shrugs Off Concerns of Hunters and Sport Fishermen
 
ANCHORAGE – Week 2 of the Keystone Center’s process on Pebble Mine wrapped up this afternoon in Anchorage, capped by an incisive appraisal from a researcher at the well-respected UAA Institute of Social and Economic Research.  Steve Colt, a Professor of Economics with ISER, had this to say in a comment summarizing his feedback on Pebble environmental baseline document:
 
"It is fair to say that this chapter (of Pebble’s EBD), as written, diminished the importance and role of the sport fishing economy in the regional economy in a way that is not supported by the data.  You need to recognize that this is an industry that is tied to the world market."
 
In response to a question about the noneconomic, yet very important experientail, dimensions of fishing in Bristol Bay, Pebble Limited Partnership CEO John Shively, brusquely shrugged off the concerns of hunters and fishermen, essentially telling them their money, jobs, and way of life don’t matter.

“You cannot assume that all the people who go out there are individual people willing to spend $6,000-$8,000,” said Shively. “There is a huge amount of corporate money that is spent that are largely tax write offs that supports that recreational lodge industry out there and so if we are going to do that kind of thing and make that information meaningful we have to understand all the different users.”

Shively2

 

Sport fishermen are expressing their dismay as word of Shively’s out-of-touch comment spreads through social media.
 
"Our commitment and involvement through our sport fishing lodge on the Kvichak River generates over $250,000 per year through the Igiugig Village Council, which is a small community of 63 year round residents," said Brian Kraft, owner of the Alaska Sportsman’s Lodge.  Kraft noted that roughly 40-percent of his customers are Alaskan or involved directly in Alaska business, and that his business spends over $750,000 with locally-owned air transport companies alone.  
 
The Keystone Center was hired by PLP in December 2010 to validate their science and conduct a public dialogue about their plan to mine in Bristol Bay.  Some 150-plus Bristol Bay residents, fishermen, hunters and anglers protested the start of the hearings last Tuesday in Anchorage.
 
Meanwhile, the EPA has spent the last 18 months independently assembling a fair, thorough assessment of the impacts mining would have on the region.  The EPA did so at the request of Native corporations, tribes, and fishermen, and found that the Pebble project would undeniably harm salmon populations and directly threaten the employment of some 14,000 individuals who depend on Bristol Bay salmon.
 
An independent peer review of the EPA’s assessment is ongoing and expected to be released in the next several months.  A final report will be issued by the EPA shortly thereafter.

More soon. . .

 

Keystone: Bad Beer, Bought and Paid For Science

I know it raised a lot of hackles with the Boulder Fly Casters thought to host the Keystone Center. They caught some flack, and frankly for good reason. In this debate there is no compromise. And, no matter the potential good intentions of Keystone, they are being played as pawns in this debate.

But recent instances and admissions make it clear that Keystone is a willing particpant in said shenanigans by the Pebble Parthership to confuse the public and try to greenwash their terrible project. In case you missed it, Keystone kicked Dr. Dan Schindler, one of the leading experts on Bristol Bay salmon, off of their supposed 'independant' science panels.

Well, I'll be there listening to and calling bullshit when I see it and I bet these meetings are bound to be chockful of it.

Non Fly Fishing Use for Your GoPro

 

Flat Creek Rods

I've owed this post for a few weeks, to say the least. I don't owe it because he's family, though that makes it all the more special. I owe the post, because, well the rods are fantastic and I am proud that my cousin Ben has finally launched the effort to make his hobby a bit more than a hobby. It is a pleasure to fish with rods that have come from his shop. He's one of my best fishing partners - we've fished from GA to NY, from CO to AK together, and it's always been an adventure. Flat Creek Rods is his next venture on that path.

Raised in Texas, Ben's got fishing and hunting in his blood. Though raised in Texas, he was pulled to the cold trout waters of Northern New Mexico. A few years ago he ditched life in Texas as a salesman of sorts, to chase fish and dreams in New Mexico. He picked up guiding for the Reel LIfe and ventured into making more than a hobby of building fly rods.  Over the years he has built a few rods for friends, sold some to clients, and made some side dough on these rods.

One of the early rods he built was a rod I wrote to Cameron over at TFM, with this post about a McFarlan blank fly rod, he built as a present for me completing my PhD.

Pretty amazing gift, for sure. About that rod, I wrote:

David James Duncan has said that with rod in hand we become more than tourists on rivers. "A rod extends the fly fisher’s being as surely as do imagination, empathy, or prayer. Within the eighty or so foot radius of our cast we gain this crazy ability to pierce the river’s power of concealment, bringing life that would otherwise remain hidden right up into our hands.” I feel that this rod (and the more I cast them, glass rods more generally), might be quite adept and helping us to more subtly pierce the river's power of concealment and bring life into our hands.

I don't get to fish that rod often, up here in Alaska, but I do love the rod for sure.

Since then, Ben has built rods for my wife and even built a 3 wt glass rod for my son Finn. He'll surely enjoy it one day down the road.

Well, recently, Ben has taken the side project a bit more public and started Flat Creek Fly Rods.

Give the website a look. He's got a knack at tying everything together. He has a eye for detail and pulls together some pretty beautiful and comfortable handles. All in all, you'd be happy to have a Flat Creek Rod in your arsenal.

It's Time to Double Down

Listen up folks, I know you are tired of hearing about it. Unfortunately, you'll keep hearing about it until we win this thing. And opportunities are within relative sight these days for some substantial victories in this fight against Pebble.

We clearly have the eye of the EPA and well, suffice it to say, it is clear from the watershed assessment that they are concerned. And, the panel that peer reviewed the Watershed Assessment, expressed some heavy concern too. Sure they noted the Assessment needed more info such as that "official" mine plan that Pebble is sitting on. But, when that info is gathered there seemed near unanimous argument that the Assessment underestimated risks to Bristol Bay. They also noted, for example, that water treatement in perpetuity was "a scary" proposition. One former state employee admitted that despite best intentions, the state doesn't have the capacity to deal with a mine like Pebble. State agencies, she noted, "are too controlled by the whims of politics, money," etc. .

What does this all mean? It is time to double down.

If you haven't heard, there is a bit of a challenge going on to raise funds for one of the leading organizations in this effort to protect Bristol Bay: Trout Unlimited.

Thanks to a generous supporter, donations made to the Save Bristol Bay campaign through the Sportsmen’s Challenge will be automatically matched, up to $200,000. The donations will be used to fund the effort to protect this unrivaled sport and commercial fishery of Bristol Bay, Alaska.

Listen, there are a lot of groups doing good work in this campaign.  They are one of the leading groups in this fight, doing some really great work.  They work accross the board with all the stakeholders ranging from Alaska Native leadership to the commercial fishing community. They know how to work with and build coalitions.

So, supporting their work is of utmost importance.

Listen, if you haven't noticed, we are fighting one of the world's largest mining companies here. Despite the rhetoric that conservation organizations get rich off of fighting development, that is hardly the truth. After all we work for non-profits. Not-for-profits!!! We are not in this for the money, clearly. But it takes money to do the work.

Every dollar counts when you are fighting a company with unlimited resources at their disposal. So folks, I've said it before and I'll say it again. As anglers we must stand up in different ways for our sacred waters and this is one of those times. If you can't donate, you might know folks who can. Perhaps you are a guide and have some potentially generous or concerned clients, don't be afraid to spread the word. This is a collective effort for a fishery of global importance.

So, double down with the Sportsmans Challenge!

Haig Brown- Fisherman's Fall

If you've followed this blog, or read back through the archives, you'd know that Haig-Brown is one of my all time heroes. I didn't grow up steelheading or in the Pacific Northwest, but just as Aldo Leopold's land ethics spoke to me at an early age, so do did Haig-Brown and his writings which embody a water ethic akin to Leopold's land ethics.

These two film shorts are worth a watch. I don't normally do reposts, but found these on the Chum. The film was put together by Canada's National Film Board to highlight Roderick Haig-Brown and the natural beauty of the Campbell River during the autumn months. These were brought to my attention awhile back, it is only the Chum reminded me I meant to post them.

 

 

Seriously Parnell? You Can't Have It Both Ways

In one breath he threatens to sue the EPA and lambastes them for meddling in Aaska's affairs regarding their investigation into the potentially unacceptable adverse impacts Pebble might have on Bristol Bay's legendary fishery.

Yet, in the next breath, he turns and pleads with the EPA to help clean up leftovers from mercury mining not too terribly far from the Pebble deposit. Yes, the Red Devil mine is technically in the Kuskokwim drainage, but it's not too far from the Pebble deposit as a crow flies.

Alaska Asks for EPA Help

Typical, Alaskan, typical states-rights, nonsense. You can't have it both ways. If you want the feds out of your life then don't ask them for help. If Alaska's agencies are so adept at handling said messes, then don't ask for help. Yes, one mine is on state land and another is on federal land, but it's all federal waters.

Seriously, you think that Pebble will create any less of a superfund site when all is said and done. Despite, the promises of better technology from Pebble, no one really believes that garbage.

So make up your mind, either you want the EPA's help or not. Better yet, how about acting in a way that prevents the need for superfund style clean up in the first place.

If God Wanted Aluminum Boats, He'd Made Aluminum Trees

So, was said to wood boat builder and legend Jerry Briggs when he pondered  switching to aluminum boats from building wood boats, especially for his Grand Canyon Dories. He pondered the switch because of the difficuly and labor intensive nature of wood boats.

But, like with all things in fly fishing or river loving, there is something to the hands on nature of wood boats. I ventured into the foray of wood boats this year, a reality that pulled me from blogging in the evening to sanding and restoring a boat that I bought off of craigslist. In a sense, I bought a trailer and oars and got a wood boat project. Well, after several months of late nights after Finn went to sleep, the boat is mostly finished (save a new front bench seat with storage in it), but has been very river worthy and even caught a few fish. Here is a slideshow of each step of the way  . . .

 

 

Healing Arts: A Sibling Shout Out

This is admitedly a non fishing post. But, one perhaps the male anglers out there might want to pay attention to, lest you need a gift for your the lady in your life. Perhaps you've been on the water a lot and a nice gift would go a long way toward earning a few more days on the water.

Or, for you lady anglers out there - perhaps you might find some stylish goods here you'd like in your life off the river. Or, perhaps we can collectively urge my sister ( the subject of this blog post) to work some fly fishing themes into the art that's helped her heal. 

To get to the heart of it, in fly fishing's history, anglers have often waxed poetic about the theraphutic, meditative qualities of fly fishing. For many it might be theraputic, spiritual or religious. As is evidenced by the great work of programs like Casting for a Cure or Project Healing Waters, fly fishing is indeed a healing art.

Well, that language is no stranger when applied to the arts more broadly. My sister is living proof of that and her new indigogo campaign (the other kickstarter-type program) is the product of that healing. Yes, she is my older sister, so I've always looked up to her. However, today, I can't really express how proud I am of the work she is doing or the person she is - words and blog posts pale in comparison. . .

But the art speaks for itself.  As you'll see she's trying the raise some funds to raise the profile of her work and she's asking for my help, your help, our help. I'd say it is a sound investment.

She tells the story better than I can, so just watch the video below. Suffice it to say I am not sure how anyone can survive the loss of a child - no matter the age. As a parent, I can't fathom the pain nor can I fathom the strength to pull onsefl from that pain. However, my sister has done that and art, craft, and community have been central to that path.

So, give a look, have a watch, and think about helping an artist get her work out there a little bit further into the world.

 

For more info on her project and fundraising campaign, go to her sight on indigogo.