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Dog mushers to speak at Northland College about Pebble Mine controversy in Alaska

January 20, 2012

Tim Osmar and Monica Zappa, competitive dog mushers, will visit Northland College to speak about the impact of an open pit mining proposal in Bristol Bay, Alaska, on Thursday, Jan. 26, at 7 p.m. in the Alvord Theatre. The event is one of several lectures being held during Mining and the Environment Week at Northland College.

Osmar and Zappa oppose the mining proposal near Bristol Bay in light of the negative impacts they say would harm the world's largest wild sockeye salmon fishery. More than 10,000 jobs would be at risk in the Bristol Bay salmon industry, according to documents from Trout Unlimited's Alaska Program. Osmar is a veteran racer and has participated in the Iditarod more than 20 times. When mushing season ends, Osmar commercial fishes for salmon.

"We're concerned not only for the fish but also for the wild land and the subsistence way of life that it provides," said Osmar and Zappa in a Trout Unlimited publication. "We feel that it's imperative to raise awareness of this issue beyond Alaska."

The event will include a presentation by Osmar and Zappa about how Bristol Bay residents are reacting to the Pebble Mine proposal, including a screening of the documentary "Red Gold." Osmar and Zappa are running in the Apostle Islands Sled Dog Race and UP 200 race in Marquette, Mich., to raise awareness of the potential threats to resources in light of the Pebble Mine proposal.