Well Brett, I posted the original question on this. I did not post it as a way to 'solve the problem", but as a way to see how the discussion went. In general I am quite impressed with the level of discourse! What many have alluded to is quite obvious to anyone who gives this a moment of thought, namely, the objective of corporations is to maximize profits, nothing else! Now you can agree to this and say: "well that's OK as long as I (or other Alaskans) get their cut, or you can say: "well there is more at stake here than just a few years of wealth, what happens after that? Who cleans up the mess (aka superfund)?".
Peter.

Just giving you a hard time Peter.

Brett

rat:
I assume, when you say "gouge a 40 mile scar", your talking about building a road?
Yea right. Then every road in Alaska ruins the salmon runs?
Next time your in Anchorage picking up supplies, enjoy the roads.

If you want to see the difference that roads make take a look at the Kenai Peninsula and the Alaska Peninsula.

Nope , we need another real big city in Alaska , and I think out there on the peninsula is the perfect spot for it ..... Look at all the benifits a local resident could enjoy ... Get to go shoot some of the biggest brown bears there are ... World class moose hunting ... Awesome fishing .. Lots of good money work at the biggest gold mine in the world ... Sign me up boys !!!!!!!!!!

quote:

World class moose hunting

Not anymore. Not because of the mine but tell me how it would help.

Sorry Ak. I was just pokin at Jim and Phil ....

Ah you just made me think about when it was world class.

We really need to get out there and kill a bunch of bears rake in some decent money doing it and restore the moose to the Koktuli river.

Thats a win win for everyone now if only we can get the econamy back on track so I can book up hunters to do this all will be great.

I guess the subsistance hunters in S.W. AK can thank Obama for that.

quote:

Originally posted by Akshooter:
Ah you just made me think about when it was world class.

We really need to get out there and kill a bunch of bears rake in some decent money doing it and restore the moose to the Koktuli river.

Thats a win win for everyone now if only we can get the econamy back on track so I can book up hunters to do this all will be great.

I guess the subsistance hunters in S.W. AK can thank Obama for that.

I certainly don't want to re start a useless and un winnable arguement, but I will note with trepidation your thought about the lack of tourism or the lack of economic prosperity derived from tourism could be a motivating factor in the development of the mine.

The lack of an economy derived from either commercial or recreational renewable resources can be a motivation to try something else. Unfortunately this region hasn't yet been able to capitalize on salmon et al the way the Copper River region, Kenai Peninsula or Sitka has. Were we able to thrive as a community in the same fashion those examples have I doubt there'd be much serious talk about the mine.

Scott
good point I'll admit but your post in it's self makes the case that there are other working models capitalizing on the renewable natrural resources that we want to protect.

quote:

Originally posted by Akshooter:
Scott
good point I'll admit but your post in it's self makes the case that there are other working models capitalizing on the renewable natrural resources that we want to protect.

I 100% agree with you and making that case as you say was part of my intention. As I have mentioned earlier in this thread, a renewable resource based economy is certainly cleaner and safer than a mine but would also just as certainly contain a degredation in outdoor opportunities or abundance. The only reason the Nushagak River drainage contains the excellent outdoor opportunities it does at this time is because there is no development, no real resource utilization of scale of any kind excepting the king salmon fishing camps near the village of Portage Creek. Were this drainage utilized in the same fashion or to the same degree the Kenai River is the Nushagak would degrade the same as the Kenai has in bank erosion, salmon run return limitations and general pollution. Currently I believe the fishing hours estimated per non guided king salmon caught on the Kenai to be 30. Speaking from experience, 20-30 kings can be caught per 8 hour day on the Nushagak when its really good.

Perhaps a good metaphor would be to say that framing with a 20 oz hammer, (renewable resource based economy,) could cause a lot less harm to ones thumb than framing with a 10# sledgehammer, (non renewable resource based economy). The variable being never getting that 20 oz'er in ones hand, and after many years of beating the nails in with ones head finding the big sledge laying on the doorstep.

I coud say a lot about this but it kind of speaks for it's self.

http://www.adn.com/money/indus...g/story/1136582.html

quote:

Originally posted by Akshooter:
I coud say a lot about this but it kind of speaks for it's self.

http://www.adn.com/money/indus...g/story/1136582.html

Akshooter....nuff said.