Preserve it or mine it. This is the question increasingly before us. On July 24, 2012 Frontline aired the documentary Alaska Gold. It's the story of small communities, native peoples and commercial fishermen coming together in an effort to protect the great wealth of Alaska's Bristol Bay and the watersheds that feed it. It can be watched in full online and Frontline's website includes other important information. To watch and read go to
Frontline—Alaska Gold.
While not directly about mining in Southwest Oregon, Frontline provides an instructional look into what it takes for ordinary citizens to stand up to multinational mining corporations, with unlimited resources and there's no assurance they will win.
These Alaska communities have no roads. They're connected only by boat or plane. Some people primarily speak in their native language. Yet they're fighting to preserve their way of life and the rich environment that sustains them for all they're worth. It's also a story about how proposals to exploit mineral deposits can divide communities. For citizens fighting mining proposals that will impact rivers and salmon it's a must watch.
