06-22-2009, 10:02 PM
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[#008000][b][font "Comic Sans MS"][size 4]Salmon Conservation Updates[/size][/font][/#008000][/b][/#000066][/font]
[#008000][font "Comic Sans MS"][size 4]Taku River spared from experimental hoverbarge[/size][/font][/#008000]
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[font "Comic Sans MS"][#008000][size 4]![[Image: taku-river.jpg]](https://www.kintera.com/accounttempfiles/account105111/images/taku-river.jpg)
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[font "Comic Sans MS"][#008000][size 4]The Taku River, Southeast Alaska's most productive salmon river -- with fisheries for Chinook, coho, sockeye, chum, and pink salmon -- has been threatened the last several years by a proposal from a Canadian mining company, Redcorp Ventures Ltd., to run a large air-cushioned hovercraft vehicle (or “hoverbarge”) along with other large amphibious vehicles up and down the Taku. The hoverbarge and its army of vehicles (never used on the Taku River before) would have been used to move equipment, fuel, and mining ore between the Tulsequah Chief Mine site and Juneau, AK during the fall, winter, and spring months.
This spring, Redcorp announced that it would be putting its plans to develop the Tulsequah Chief Mine on hold indefinitely due to financial troubles. The news came as relief to conservation groups (including TU) and Taku River salmon fishermen, who have been fighting to protect the Taku River’s robust wild salmon fishery and prevent it from becoming an experimental site for Redcorp's proposed transport system. The untested operation, which would require permits from Alaska state agencies, raised many questions and concerns about the negative impacts the hoverbarge and assistant vehicles would have on critical salmon habitat (both spawning and rearing grounds) throughout the entire Taku River system.[/size][/#008000][/font]
[font "Comic Sans MS"][#008000][size 4]This reprieve from the risks associated with Redcorp’s barging proposal will allow TU to refocus on collaborating with other conservation and fisheries groups and stakeholders to permanently protect the Taku River and other high value wild salmon watersheds throughout Southeast Alaska.
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[#008000][b][font "Comic Sans MS"][size 4]Salmon Conservation Updates[/size][/font][/#008000][/b][/#000066][/font][#008000][font "Comic Sans MS"][size 4]Taku River spared from experimental hoverbarge[/size][/font][/#008000]
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[/size][/#008000][/font][font "Comic Sans MS"][#008000][size 4]The Taku River, Southeast Alaska's most productive salmon river -- with fisheries for Chinook, coho, sockeye, chum, and pink salmon -- has been threatened the last several years by a proposal from a Canadian mining company, Redcorp Ventures Ltd., to run a large air-cushioned hovercraft vehicle (or “hoverbarge”) along with other large amphibious vehicles up and down the Taku. The hoverbarge and its army of vehicles (never used on the Taku River before) would have been used to move equipment, fuel, and mining ore between the Tulsequah Chief Mine site and Juneau, AK during the fall, winter, and spring months.
This spring, Redcorp announced that it would be putting its plans to develop the Tulsequah Chief Mine on hold indefinitely due to financial troubles. The news came as relief to conservation groups (including TU) and Taku River salmon fishermen, who have been fighting to protect the Taku River’s robust wild salmon fishery and prevent it from becoming an experimental site for Redcorp's proposed transport system. The untested operation, which would require permits from Alaska state agencies, raised many questions and concerns about the negative impacts the hoverbarge and assistant vehicles would have on critical salmon habitat (both spawning and rearing grounds) throughout the entire Taku River system.[/size][/#008000][/font]
[font "Comic Sans MS"][#008000][size 4]This reprieve from the risks associated with Redcorp’s barging proposal will allow TU to refocus on collaborating with other conservation and fisheries groups and stakeholders to permanently protect the Taku River and other high value wild salmon watersheds throughout Southeast Alaska.
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