Tippets: Idaho Staves Off Steelhead Closures, EPA Guts Clean Water Act, Midterm Elections and The Pebble Mine

December 12, 2018 By: Erin Block

  • The scheduled closure of Idaho’s steelhead season won’t go forward as planned. “Members of the newly formed Idaho River Community Alliance, environmental groups and the Idaho Department of Fish and Game forged an agreement to stave off the closure. The agreement was approved by the Idaho Fish and Game Commission in a unanimous vote Friday evening.” Via The Spokesman Review.
  • According to a rule expected to be released in the coming week by the Environmental Protection agency, “streams that are dependent on rainfall and wetlands not physically connected to year-round waterways will no longer be covered by the Clean Water Act.” The change means “an estimated 60-90 percent of U.S. waterways could lose federal protections that currently shield them from pollution and development.” Via The Intercept.
  • The recent midterm elections had ramifications for the fight to save Bristol Bay. Alaska elected a Governor for whom Pebble’s CEO helped campaign. And “despite truly incredible volunteer-driven efforts of its backers, Ballot Measure 1, which would have protected wild salmon habitat statewide and provided a higher standard that Pebble Mine would have had to meet, failed to get the votes that were needed to be put into law.” Yet, “While disappointing, the fight is far from over.” Read more from Save Bristol Bay via Angling Trade.