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Steward of the Week: Sam Snyder
By FishRecycler | November 15, 2011
Dr. Sam Snyder lives with his wife Liz and their infant son Finn in Anchorage, AK where he serves as the point-person in a coalition of organizations working to save Bristol Bay … forever. He also serves on the Recycled Fish board of directors.
How does a guy from central Texas wind up in Alaska? Sam says he bounced around the country most of his life, from his college days in central Pennsylvania, to being a “mountain bum” in the Roaring Fork Valley of Colorado, fishing the Adirondacks of central New York, and “not fishing enough” during the years he called Florida his home.
That PhD of his comes from a wild blend of religious studies, environmental history, ethics, conservation biology and ecological restoration, to name a few. His dissertation was on “the human dimensions of trout conservation and native trout restoration,” for example.
“Where most people focus on the ecology of trout,” Sam explains, “I wanted to know how and why people (anglers mostly, fly fishers to be precise) got involved in trout conservation, engaged native fish restoration.”
Though he admits, maybe it was more of an excuse to hang out in trout habitats and talk to fly fishers.
“It worked.”
While Sam is an academic at heart, a self-proclaimed “dork,” his other passion is playing the dobro in his bluegrass band, Hot Dish. He describes the band as traditional bluegrass with some heavy progressive leanings.
“While covering Grateful Dead is not unheard of for a bluegrass band, how many bluegrass bands cover songs like Africa by Toto?” he asks. You gotta check out Hot Dish on Facebook.
Sam went from studying grassroots conservation to working in the thick of it. He moved to Alaska and said if he wasn’t teaching at the university, he would find a way to get involved in the fight for Bristol Bay. Two years later, he’s doing just that.
So what is the “fight for Bristol Bay?”
Bristol Bay is the world’s largest sockeye salmon fishery, and “mecca for monstrous rainbow trout.” Roughly 40 million sockeye return to Bristol Bayeach year. Alaskan natives have subsisted off the fishery and its diverse ecosystem for upwards of 10-11,000 years. Bristol Bay supplies over 50% of the global, commercial sockeye catch, generates upwards of $400 million annually and employs upwards of 15,000 people. The sport fishery lures anglers from around the world with chances to catch all five species of salmon, huge rainbow trout, dolly varden, grayling and even some northern pike. This generates over $115 million a year for the local economy.
Bristol Bay is currently the world’s most intact and diverse coldwater ecosystem.
“As we have watched the slow death of salmon ecosystems over the years,” Sam explains, “impacts of hatcheries on salmon and anadromous fish, etc. Bristol Bay is the last and greatest of its kind on the planet.”
Sounds wonderful. What’s the problem?
The short story is that a proposal is on the table to build North America’s largest open pit copper and gold mine, called Pebble Mine. The Pebble Mine is owned by The Pebble Limited Partnership, a conglomerate between Anglo American Mining and Northern Dynasty Minerals, the latter of which has never built a mine before. If built, Pebble Mine could generate up to 10 billion tons of mining waste that will be stored on site forever.
Forever.
“Moreover,” Sam elaborates, “based on preliminary plans by the developing companies, it would need several of the world’s largest dams to hold back those tailings/mine waste forever.”
There’s that word again. “Forever.”
So this is Sam’s fight. But the remarkable thing about this fight for Bristol Bay is the diversity of people working together, a coalition of groups with Alaska natives, commercial fishermen and sports fishermen, all very unlikely allies.
“Working together for the future of this spectacular place.”
Sam’s job: keep them working together.
In the Spring of 2010, eight federally recognized tribes petitioned the US EPA to use their authority under the Clean Water Act to protect Bristol Bay. These tribes have been joined by the Bristol Bay Native Association, commercial fishing organizations (every one of them from the state of Alaska), sportsmen (Trout Unlimited taking the lead), churches, investors, chefs, jewelers (vowing to never use Pebble gold), all creating an unprecedented and diverse array of voices speaking out for Bristol Bay.
“To put it simply,” Sam clarifies, “the support for EPA to protect Bristol Bay from large-scale mining proposals like Pebble Mine is overwhelming in the region and grows every day in states where people know that Bristol Bay is a true national treasure and an economic engine for America.”
On February 7, the EPA started a scientific assessment of the Bristol Bay watershed, paying special attention to understanding how future large-scale development projects may affect Bristol Bay’s salmon fishery, the jobs and the subsistence lifestyle that it supports.
“The Bristol Bay watershed is essential to the health, environment and economy of Alaska,” said EPA Regional Administrator Dennis McLerran. “Gathering data and getting public input now, before development occurs, just makes sense. Doing this we can be assured that our future decisions are grounded in the best science and information and in touch with the needs of these communities. We look forward to working with Alaskans to protect and preserve this valuable resource.”
The EPA’s watershed assessment is an important first step, but it is only the beginning. Sam hopes that it will lead the EPA into using their authority under the Clean Water Act to prohibit the disposal of mining waste in Bristol Bay’s waters.
“Right now we have what some have described as the most anti-environmental House in history.” Sam describes. “Along with lessening of conservation regulation, clean water standards, they have a push to privatize more water and limit access to anglers. This is all at a time when research shows that playing outside in nature is not only good for nature, but good for us psychologically.”
Sam stresses the importance of encouraging kids to go fishing, that we need to cultivate a growing generation of young advocates for clean water, responsible use and access, and a priority on native species conservation/restoration.
“Clean water, access to clean water for consumption or recreation are rights we should all enjoy.”
The fight for Bristol Bay is at a pivotal point right now.
“I would hate to think that my son, Finn, can’t fish in places like Bristol Bay or the native trout streams of Pennsylvania or New York, places that define me as an angler, as a conservationist, as an educator.”
I asked Sam if there’s anything we could do to help.
“Get in touch with your elected officials,” he answered. “Tell your senators to support the EPA’s watershed assessment and support their work to support this great fishery.”
Go to SaveBristolBay.org for more information. Also on Facebook.
Sam blogs at www.headwatersofhistory.com and encourages his readers to come experience the wonder that is Alaska and its incredible fisheries.
Bristol Bay needs our help. With the help of stewards like Sam and his coalition of diverse organizations, it has hope for a future.
Because forever is a long time.
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