Alaskans Forced to Sue Parnell Administration to Protect Salmon

For more information:
Bob Shavelson 907.299.3277
Judy Heilman 907.583.2277

ANCHORAGE, AK – Foot-dragging by the Parnell Administration has forced Alaskan citizen
groups to challenge the State’s refusal to protect the waters that support wild Alaskan salmon.

The groups, the Chuitna Citizens Coalition and Cook Inletkeeper, filed suit recently in state court
to press the Parnell Administration to process long-standing water rights claims for fish before
continuing to issuing water use permits to corporations.

“Wild, healthy salmon define who we are as Alaskans,” said Judy Heilman, with the
Chuitna Citizens Coalition. “The Parnell Administration is breaking the law by giving Outside
corporations permits without protecting our salmon first.”

Alaska law specifically empowers scientists, agency experts and citizens to apply to the
State to “reserve” water in streams and lakes to ensure salmon passage, spawning and rearing
habitat. Under Alaska law, any request for water use from a corporation must first consider and
protect the water reserved to protect fish.

“The Parnell Administration is turning the law on its head,” said Bob Shavelson, with
Cook Inletkeeper. “If we allow corporations to take water without keeping enough water in our
streams for our salmon, we’ll be in the same boat as Oregon and Washington in no time.”
The Parnell Administration has actively ignored water reservations requests for salmon,
yet continues to process corporate water use permits. State records show a large backlog of
instream flow reservation requests the state has refused to address.

“Governor Parnell is not keeping his word,” said Heilman. “He’s ready to trade wild
Alaskan salmon for coal to power China. To do it, he’s ignoring the law and thumbing his nose
at everyday Alaskans.”

“If we don’t put fish first in Alaska, we’ll hurt the jobs and families our salmon support,”
said Terry Jorgenson, a commercial set net fishermen with the Chuitna Citizens Coalition.
The public interest law firm Trustees for Alaska is representing the Alaskan groups.
More information is available at: www.inletkeeper.org