Proposal Threatens Millions of Acres of Alaska Watersheds and Tribal Traditional Lands
By: Blm Wild
Tags: Watershed, Indigenous, Alaska, Environment, Conservation

Credit David Shaw.

On December 4, 2020, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) released its Proposed Resource Management Plan and Final Environmental Impact Statement for Alaska’s Bering Sea-Western Interior that will govern use of more than thirteen million acres of publicly-managed land. The planning area includes all lands in the south Yukon watershed to the southern boundary of the Kuskokwim River watershed, and all lands west of Denali National Park and Preserve to the Bering Sea. More than 50 Alaska Native Tribes have lived in this region for thousands of years, and continue to sustainably manage use of the fish, plants and animals as well as the land.

Through the land use planning process, local Tribes asked the BLM to designate more than 7 million acres of Areas of Critical Environmental Concern (ACECs) to protect important watersheds and traditional tribal lands vital to community survival. As an example, the locally-nominated Sheefish ACEC includes a 15-mile river stretch that is the spawning area of 80% of sheefish in the Kuskokwim River. Before the end of the comment period on the draft management plan, 20 Tribes signed a letter urging the BLM to “make changes in the Final plan to create greater balance and provide protections for Tribal nominations.”

However, the BLM has not included any existing or community-nominated conservation areas in its proposed final plan for this region of western Alaska. Instead, its proposal would eliminate 1.8 million acres of existing conservation lands and open up nearly 13.5 million acres to mining — which could seriously impact wildlife habitat and water quality for critical fish resources and community water sources.

The Bering Sea-Interior Tribal Commission said in a statement, “BLM’s decision to reject meaningful protections for the Tribes’ nominated watersheds sends the clear message that the voices of planning area Tribes do not matter in the agency’s planning processes.”

Frank Katchatag, President of the Native Village of Unalakleet and Vice-Chairman of the Tribal Commission, said: “Impacts to our customary and traditional use areas were not considered or evaluated seriously. Our communities will bear the burden from the plan and our input has been largely ignored.”

This new plan would replace decades-old management that included 1.8 million acres of ACECs. Areas threatened with losing protection include:

The Nulato River watershed, a critical region supporting the abundance of subsistence fish resources harvested throughout the lower Yukon River.

The Anvik River watershed, where the annual production of summer chum salmon is thought to be the largest in the Yukon River basin.

Credit David Shaw.

The Unalakleet River watershed, where Chinook, coho, pink and chum salmon spawn and where grayling, arctic char and whitefish are important subsistence species. The region is also home to moose, caribou, and bear, as well as marten, lynx, fox, wolf, beaver and muskrat.

Credit David Shaw.

The BLM is currently holding a 30 day protest period prior to issuing a final Record of Decision.

Formal protests to the Bering Sea-Western Interior Proposed Resource Management Plan/Final Environment Impact Statement can be made here: https://eplanning.blm.gov/eplanning-ui/project/36665/570