Berners Bay, Alaska

Southeast Alaska's Berners Bay hosts a wide range of ecosystems:

• snow-capped alpine peaks rising above the Juneau ice field;
• old-growth spruce and hemlock forest;
• glacial rivers flowing through steep-walled valleys;
• freshwater marshes;
• saltwater estuaries;
• sandy beaches;
• and rocky bluffs.

Within the Berners Bay watershed lies the traditional territory of the Auk Kwaan, the original settlers of the Juneau area.  Berners Bay and surrounding lands provide rich habitat for many marine and land animals, such as: wolves, moose, mountain goats, brown and black bears, deer, lynx, marten, bald eagles, gulls, whales, seals, porpoises, and sea lions. 

Recreational opportunities abound, including:

• hunting, trapping, and sport fishing,
• airboating and kayaking,
• hiking and camping,
• and beachcombing.

Commercial fishermen harvest salmon, crab, and shrimp from Berners Bay throughout the year, and a number of tourism businesses bring clients from all over the world to experience Berners Bay's spectacular resources.

Slate Cove of Berners Bay. Credit: SEACC

The Kensington Mine Proposal

Coeur d'Alene Mines Corporation of Idaho is proposing to construct the Kensington gold mine on public lands near the northwest shore of Berners Bay.  The mine would bring industrial development -- including ports, barges, and roads -- to this pristine area.

Herring and eulachon, the two species of fish that form the base of the bay's incredibly productive food web, would be threatened by mine-related boat traffic.  The mine also poses a significant threat to water quality.

The corporation is proposing to construct a dam at the end of Lower Slate Lake and use the lake as a repository for untreated mine tailings.  This type of mine waste disposal has never been attempted elsewhere in the United States -- and for good reason.  Dumping mining waste into public water bodies violates State water quality standards and the federal Clean Water Act.

"Mining law reform is essential to ensure that mines don't spoil the ecological, cultural, and recreational values of special places like Berners Bay."
--Kat Hall, Southeast Alaska Conservation Council

For More Information

• Alaskans for Responsible Mining
  
• Southeast Alaska Conservation Council
  
• Plans for an Open Pit Gold Mine Threaten Lake Iliamna, Alaska