Pebble Mine and Alaskan salmon fishing now in the hands of the Keystone Center & Larry Craig

There are thousands of responses on the web to the crashing defeat of Ballot Measure 4 in Alaska which would have stopped mining in the state.  Here are some of my favorites: 

From SwittersB’s Weblog: 

Interviewed at the polling stations, Anchorage voters said they felt caught between two Alaskan icons — fishing and mining.  “I thought it was excessive on both sides. It seemed like a big screaming match,” said Seth Miraglia, a Bristol Bay gillnet fisherman from Anchorage.

From KTUU.COM: 

I think there was a lot of voter confusion about this topic and I think the governor helps break through the clutter. I mean after all she’s an elected leader. She knows what the important policies are that are important to Alaska’s future and I’m glad she stepped forward and made a clear statement that people can understand; this is what she thinks, this is what is important, and this is what voters would be advised to do.

From Associated Press: 

Renee Limoge, spokeswoman for Alaskans Against the Mining Shutdown, said what voters understood was that the ballot measure would have affected other mines, not just Pebble.  “We are thrilled that Alaskan voters have spoken and they have made it clear that mining is part of our history in the state and part of our future.”

From Financial Post: 

“I didn’t pop any corks or anything, but I’ll tell you I was very pleased with the outcome. There’s no question about that,” said Northern Dynasty president and CEO Ron Thiessen, whose company is currently doing pre-feasibility work on Pebble and expects to seek permits in late 2009 or 2010. “We think the existing [environmental] rules and regulations are very adequate, and I think this vote is an endorsement of that. So from my standpoint, I think this is good for Pebble.”

From Mineweb: 

Pebble Partnership CEO John Shivley said the company won’t even commence the permitting process for the Anglo American/Northern Dynasty Minerals joint venture project until 2010.

From The Jeweler Network: 

 ”It’s kind of overdoing it because we already have laws in place to regulate mining,” Alaska resident Anne Young, who voted against Measure 4, told the Anchorage Daily News. “I’m hoping I’m not making a mistake.”

In reading the many postings, I came across one that reports that John Shivley has hired the Keystone Center to move things forward.  (Sorry but I cannot now find that site to link to it.)  So I took a look at the Keystone Center—for it appears that is where the future of mining versus salmon now resides.

The Keystone Center describes itself thus: 

The Keystone Center seeks to solve our society’s most challenging environmental, energy, and public health problems. We bring together today’s public, private and civic sector leaders to confront these issues and we arm the next generation with the 21st Century intellectual and social skills required to effectively approach the questions they will face. Founded in 1975, the Center is a non-profit organization headquartered in Keystone, Colorado with offices in Denver, Washington, Boston, and Santa Fe.

That sounds pretty good.  But they do make mistakes and overdo the verbiage.  One of the funniest is this proud boast: 

In June 2005, in celebration of our 30th Anniversary, The Keystone Center hosted a symposium in Washington, DC on “Political Courage and Bridge-Building.” Senators Larry Craig (R-Idaho) and Ron Wyden (D-Oregon);Representatives Nancy Johnson (R-Connecticut) and Ed Case (D-Hawaii) joined National Public Radio’s Washington Editor Ron Elving and the Heritage Foundation’s John Hulsman to debate the very themes that TKC has personified for so many years. “Information is what drives people to work together,” said Nancy Johnson. “It is political glue.” To which Senator Wydenadded, “Bipartisanship is more alive than we know but less visible than it has ever been. That visibility is crucial if faith in our democracy is to be maintained.”

Imagine Larry Craig as an icon of virtue.   Imagine him forging the bipartisan political glue to hold together objective truth about Alaskan mining.  Maybe he is not included in Shivley’s crew.  We hope so.