RIVERS WITHOUT BORDERS

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Taku River Task Force

After months of discussion and negotiation between Alaska bipartisan legislators, government officials, commercial fishermen, sport fishermen, property owners, processors, businesses, and other stakeholders, including Rivers Without Borders, a Taku River Citizen’s Task Force has been established. The Task Force embodies Resolutions introduced in the 2011 Alaska legislature reflecting these community concerns. Juneau’s legislative office made the official announcement of the Task Force on September 19th.

The Task Force will provide a public forum to consider the Taku and its importance to Southeast Alaska, assess threats to wild salmon habitat, and explore ways to ensure the long term productivity of the watershed. Potential Canadian mining immediately above the Taku’s premier salmon habitat, and the prospect of related barging and dredging, is driving the creation of this unprecedented citizen’s body.

The facilitated eight member Task Force is scheduled to meet in a series of meetings in Juneau this fall. It is to report its findings and recommendations to the 2012 legislature.

In addition to highlighting the Taku’s ecological and economic importance relative to wild salmon via a formal, legislatively sanctioned citizen’s body, the Task Force underscores that Alaskans care about the Taku, and that upstream activities on this international river could have downstream consequences. It should be noted that Task Force deliberations will only apply to the river itself, as opposed to the larger river corridor, and that traditional river usage will in no way be affected by any habitat protection recommendations. Concerns about river barging and dredging relative to salmon will figure prominently in discussions.