By Simon Perkins
Last summer, my dad, Perk, and I traveled to Alaska to fish the rivers of the Bristol Bay watershed with our friends Brian Kraft, owner of Alaska Sportsman’s Lodge, and Nelli Williams, director of Trout Unlimited Alaska.
The massive watershed is one of our most valuable, where the world’s last great wild-salmon population supports an immensely diverse ecosystem, not to mention a fishing economy sustaining 14,000 jobs and valued at $1.4B. But its richness also includes gold and copper sitting beneath the fragile and interconnected landscape, and the threat of disastrous development has been a constant for decades.
I spent years studying the Bristol Bay region through accounts, studies, science, stories, photos and film, and advocacy—but this was my first time experiencing it in person.
It was surreal to finally set foot in the place we had fought to protect and which so many have dedicated their lives to preserving.
Although I knew exactly what to expect, I was completely taken aback by the vastness of its beauty and wild, unfathomable nature.
As I took in the landscape, the first thing that came to me was a plea: “Don’t mess this up. Please don’t let this be one of our future’s most painful regrets.”
But then I looked at the faces around me and was reminded of the real, tangible hope that we’ve inherited. For decades, citizens, advocates, and the Bristol Bay community have worked so hard to give us a chance, to give our grandchildren a chance. People like Nelli, Brian, my father, and many friends of Bristol Bay have fought pitched battles—teetering on the brink of defeat multiple times but ultimately earning hard victories—preserving the possibility of keeping this incredible place intact.
These community leaders and advocates have carried a torch that burns brightly, a beacon that rallies the rest of us to join. Because of them, we’re all in a position to preserve the richness of this place for future generations. This is a finite, immeasurable treasure that we must protect.
