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Rio Tinto Gives Up On Pebble Mine
Dave Bendinger, KDLG – Dillingham
Mining Giant Rio Tinto announced Monday it will divest its holdings with Northern Dynasty, the sole owner of the Pebble mine prospect in Bristol Bay. Rio Tinto held 19 percent of Northern Dynasty’s publicly traded shares. But the company is not selling those shares. Instead, it will split them evenly between two charitable organizations.
Izembek Road Issue May Be Headed To Court
Lauren Rosenthal, KUCB – Unalaska
Over the last year, residents of King Cove have been ramping up their campaign to build what they say is a life-saving road through the Izembek wildlife refuge.
Bill Increases Education Funding By $225 Million
Alexandra Gutierrez, APRN – Juneau
With the Alaska House of Representatives set to vote on an omnibus education bill on Monday, rural legislators are prepared to fight a change to the funding formula included in the legislation. The bill increases education funding by $225 million spread out over three years, and it adjusts the formula used to divide that money in a way that gives urban schools a boost.
Researchers Seek Glimpse Into Lives Of Earliest Unangan Population
Annie Ropeik, KUCB – Unalaska
The Islands of the Four Mountains are at the center of the Aleutians — geographically, and in folklore passed down from prehistoric times. But we don’t know much about the people who lived there.
Sealaska Dividends Include No Corporate Earnings
Ed Schoenfeld, CoastAlaska – Juneau
The Sealaska regional Native corporation does not appear to be making much – if any – money. Its spring distribution to shareholders, which is basically a dividend, includes no corporate revenues. But, the details are not yet available.
Study Investigates Potential Impacts Of Road Development On Western Arctic Caribou Herd
Zachariah Hughes, KNOM – Nome
A group of researchers announced last month the results of a multi-year study assessing the impacts to caribou habitat of a potential service road from the Dalton Highway to the Ambler Mining District. Their research is one of the first wildlife biology studies looking at whether a road through a stretch of the Interior would disrupt the Western Arctic Caribou Herd, which is vital to subsistence users across Western Alaska.
Kuskokwim Working Group Outlines 2014 King Salmon Restrictions
Ben Matheson, KYUK – Bethel
Two months before what would normally be time for king salmon fishing, Kuskokwim residents have a sketch of what the summer’s conservation measures will look like. There will be no directed king salmon fishing. For other chum and red salmon, managers are setting no hard dates for the first gillnet opening, other than its anticipated in the last week of June. The Kuskokwim River Salmon Management Working Group last week painstakingly came to a consensus on conservation measures.
Fairbanks Sport Fish Hatchery Prepares For Second Season
Dan Bross, KUAC – Fairbanks
The onset of spring has some Alaskans looking forward to fishing season. That includes employees at the state’ new sport fish hatchery in Fairbanks, where they’re hoping for conditions less extreme than those experienced last year.
