Bristol Bay, Alaska, is one of the most remote locations in the US, worlds away from the racial and pandemic-related protests that consumed the lower 48 states over the past year. Bristol Bay residents have nevertheless been embroiled in their own decade-long fight to oppose a singular project that could forever alter their land’s culture, environment, and way of life: the notorious Pebble Mine.

 

That fight ended abruptly in November 2020 when the pro-development Trump Administration reversed its policy on the project—which had been previously fast-tracked through the permitting process—to deny a key development permit for the mine.  The move, which blocked Pebble Mine for the foreseeable future, created a rare alliance between the pro-development administration and environmentalists, native Alaskans, and local fishermen.

 

In Southwest Alaska, the Bristol Bay watershed is home to a community of Native Alaskans and the largest sockeye salmon run in the world. The Pebble Mine would have been located in Bristol Bay and operated by the Pebble Limited Partnership (PLP) mining company. PLP hoped to develop the Pebble deposit—allegedly possessing $300 billion worth of copper, gold, and other valuable metals—by operating an open pit mine more than a square mile wide and a third of a mile deep for 20 or more years. The Pebble Mine would have been the largest mine in North America, generating enough waste to bury the city of Seattle, WA.

 

Proponents of Pebble Mine argue that the project would improve America’s mineral security, provide revenues to the state, and bring high-earning jobs and critical infrastructure to remote Alaskan communities.

 

Critics of the project—including 62% of Alaskans—note the Pebble Mine would generate significant economic, environmental, and racial injustices. 

 

For example, they argue that the Pebble Mine would destroy the salmon run by damaging critical spawning habitats and releasing toxic waste into the watershed. Destruction of the salmon run would uproot a $2.2 billion annual commercial fishing industry, 15,000 fishing and seafood jobs, and thousands of recreation and tourism industry jobs. The mine would also wipe out a nutritious food source for local Native Alaskan communities and millions of families around the world. 

 

In response to these potential injustices, most Alaskans have vehemently opposed Pebble Mine since the mine was proposed two decades ago. “No Pebble Mine” stickers cover car bumpers and shop windows across the state. A diverse coalition of environmental advocates, Alaska native associations, and fishermen have worked together to oppose development of the unique and sensitive wetland ecosystem. 

 

Additionally, for the past two decades, thousands of Alaskans and out-of-state visitors have gathered at SalmonFest, an annual music festival, to raise awareness and money for salmon conservation causes. 

 

Alaskans have practiced democratic and peaceful protests against the mine for the past two decades, sending the state and federal government a clear message that Pebble is the “wrong mine, in the wrong place.” President Trump nonetheless supported PLP and pro-development Alaskan Governor Mike Dunleavy for the majority of his administration, only to reverse his stance unexpectedly. 

 

So, what changed? 

 

What changed, it appears, was opposition from within Trump’s own party and close allies. In August 2020, the president's son Donald Trump Jr. and former vice presidential aide Nick Ayers tweeted in opposition to Pebble Mine. Tucker Carlson also ran a segment on his Fox News’ show outlining how the project could harm salmon in Bristol Bay. All three are avid fishermen and hunters who have visited the world-renowned fishery. Three months later, the Trump Administration blocked development of the Pebble deposit.

 

In one respect, it is an immense achievement that Pebble Mine will not threaten Bristol Bay and the abundant life it supports for the foreseeable future. In another respect, the decision represents a profound failure of our democracy. 

 

The vast majority of Alaskans and Bristol Bay residents have been protesting this project for decades. They have organized, fundraised, sang, lobbied, and peacefully demanded the end of Pebble. Their efforts were ignored by a blindsided president for the majority of his tenure. President Trump only came to ally with them when enough of his supporters deemed Bristol Bay worth saving so that they could continue hunting and fishing there for sport. 

 

In the United States, we have a sacred right to protest against a government we do not agree with, a right that is usually respected today. That right, however, is ineffective when policy makers ignore the wishes of protestors that represent the majority opinion when they make major national decisions to serve their own interests.

 

Pebble Mine is not the only example of the Trump Administration failing to respect the voice of the majority on environmental concerns. In 2020, two-thirds of Americans thought the government should do more to address climate change. President Trump ignored these numbers and related protests, instead catering to a more powerful pro-development minority with its figurative head in the sand. 

 

Democracies fail when the desires of the many are supplanted by the whims of a powerful few. The Biden administration seems to be on a better path to restoring our democratic institutions; President Biden has pledged to take action on climate change and vowed to shut down Pebble Mine before President Trump did so. Nonetheless, significant challenges remain before our homes and communities are safeguarded against further environmental degradation.

 

We must remember our experiences during the Trump Administration so that the right to protest—and the right to be heard—remain a tenant of American democracy.