Why is the Johnson Tract a Threat?

Our concern is that the proposed Johnson Tract Mine will have severe negative impacts on important natural resources within Lake Clark National Park and the surrounding ecosystems including wild salmon, water quality, wild mammals, and the long term ecological health of one of the last great expanses of pristine wilderness left on earth.

The Johnson Tract Mine has not completed a robust impact study regarding its effects on wild salmon. In the habitat in and around Lake Clark National Park, salmon are the backbone of ecological health – harm to salmon populations will undoubtedly bring a cascade of harm to a diverse number of plants, mammals, and people. Research of other mining projects have proven that mining projects of this scale have a strong chance of decreasing the abundance of salmon and bears in the effected area surrounding the project and degrading the quality of habitat in the area overall.

The proposed transit corridors and port would occur in an area with incredible biodiversity and undisturbed habitat. Active and inactive pits, haul roads, heavy machinery, processing facilities, tailings ponds, employee housing, and office facilities along with an active runway for aircraft and a robust population of mine employees will drastically disturb the surrounding areas. Potential impacts include soil disturbance, soil alteration, noise pollution, water contamination, habitat displacement, habitat fracturing, habitat loss, and degradation of the surrounding ecosystem as a whole.

The Johnson Tract is large. The impacts to water quality and salmon habitat could affect wildlife all throughout the drainages and coastlines at the base of Mount Illiamna.

Some questions the Johnson Tract Mine must address are:

1. What is the density of wild salmon, what impacts would the road and port construction have on salmon returns, and what are the downstream effects of any negative impacts on salmon populations

2. What are the predicted impacts from a tailings pond spill or vessel, and what are the consequential impacts on the surrounding ecosystem