Photo by acacia.johnson / Sharlee Sifsof untangles a salmon from her family's net in Ekuk, Alaska. During high season in Alaska's Bristol Bay, subsistence nets such as these can yield thousands of pounds of salmon at a time. The commercial fishery brings in about $1.5 billion a year. On November 24, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers rejected Pebble Mine's permit application to mine the headwaters of the Bristol Bay watershed. For decades, this proposed copper and gold mine has met fierce opposition from commercial fishermen, tribal groups, and environmentalists over concerns that the mine could cause irreversible damage to the world's most productive salmon habitat. “Our work is not done," writes United Tribes of Bristol Bay President Robert Heyano. "We will continue to advocate for permanent protections for Bristol Bay until we are sure that our pristine lands and waters will remain intact for our children’s children and all future generations." Follow me at acacia.johnson for more ...