Details on a Pebble advertising controversy + the role of cooperating agencies

Pebble advertising campaign backlash

Last month the Pebble Limited Partnership (PLP) launched new advertising efforts to state its case that the federal permitting process is working as designed and that the Corps’ Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) “shows a clear path forward for permitting…” PLP’s full-page ad in the Anchorage Daily News, along with a 20-page direct mailer, also included logos of 16 cooperating agencies and tribes, ranging from The Office of the President of the United States to Curyung Tribal Council.

However, some agencies and tribes listed were surprised by this inclusion and felt it misleading and confusing to the public, especially since the mailer included the headline “Who Produced the Draft EIS?” above the logos. It even prompted a "cease and desist" letter from the Department of the Interior.

Read on for details on the campaign, and the role cooperating agencies play in the NEPA permitting process.

Bristol Bay place names are out of this world!

The International Astronomical Union, which names celestial bodies, allowed 112 countries to each name one planetary system. More than 360,000 suggestions were submitted to the NameExoWorlds competition, and this week IAU announced the winning list of names. The star and exoplanet designated to be named by the United States are now Nushagak and Mulchatna, after rivers in Bristol Bay.

Ivory Adajar, originally of Dillingham, suggested the names to honor her cultural heritage. “I chose the names Nushagak for a star and Mulchatna for an exoplanet after Earth’s greatest wild salmon river ecosystems that resembles the nature of the exoplanet’s orbit. Mulchatna River connects to the famous Nushagak River, and these rich and historical salmon rivers have contributed greatly to our Alaskan outdoors natural culture. Our wild salmon are known for their wiggly, eccentric paths out to the ocean and back to freshwater. We might not have this natural habitat and rich fisheries in the future, but we can have the star and exoplanet in honor of Alaska’s rich salmon culture and heritage. After winning this great honor, I plan to use it as a platform to help educate youth and others more about our beautiful starry sky above and the rich natural ecology of earth below. Quyana (Thank you).”

Read more at K TOO.