The Alaska House Fisheries Committee will hold a public hearing on transboundary mining issues Oct. 12 to hear from fishermen, business owners, municipal and tribal leaders and other concerned citizens.
The session will run from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., with a half hour break from noon to 12:30 p.m.
The toll free call-in number is 1-844-586-9085.
The session was prompted by growing concerns over potential adverse impact on salmon habitat in transboundary waterways from mining development near the headwaters of rivers flowing from British Columbia into Southeast Alaska.
Those invited to give brief presentations at the start of the hearing, to be chaired by Rep. Louise Stutes, R-Kodiak, include state officials, indigenous leaders from Alaska and British Columbia and spokespersons from the mining and fishing industries.
An analyst from McDowell Group will also present findings from a just completed analysis of the economic impact of transboundary rivers.
The governments of Alaska and British Columbia announced on Oct. 6 the signing of a non-binding agreement focused on transboundary waters. Federal level involvement of the governments of the United States and Canada is needed, however, to ensure that enforceable measures and financial liabilities are identified to protect habitat critical to the economy and lifestyle of Southeast Alaska.
