— from Dave Pringle for Senator Lovelett —
Sen. Liz Lovelett (D-Anacortes) sent a letter to the Premier of British Columbia today calling on the provincial government to stop mining activity in the headwaters of the Skagit River.
“As a state legislator representing the communities and natural land of the Skagit River watershed, I am deeply concerned about the impacts of mining on the ecosystems of the Skagit River and Salish Sea,” said Lovelett. “Industrial-scale mining operations poses an unacceptable risk to the spawning salmon and river species that lay the foundation for the food web of the Salish Sea.”
A Canadian mining company applied for exploratory mining permits in the Silver Daisy Peak area at the headwaters of the transboundary Skagit River watershed.
Members of the Washington state Senate Democratic Caucus signed the letter in support. The full letter is attached.
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Well done Sen. Lovelett. The Taku River (southeast Alaska) and the Skagit River are trans-border rivers that flow from British Columbia to the Gulf of Alaska and Salish Sea. British Columbia has mineral mines on the headwaters of both of these rivers. The impact on the ecosystems downstream does have an effect on people and salmon. I am happy to see that you are making an effort to mitigate the harm being done. Pleas keep us informed.