This has been a frustrating year! Yet another Pebble mine comment period. Oil & Gas Lease Sale 258 in Lower Cook Inlet is happening tomorrow despite being canceled in May. The Cook Inlet beluga whale population is not improving. Our carbon emissions continue to go up, not down as is desperately needed.
The best part of this past year has been you – your actions, creativity, and vision.
At Inletkeeper, your engagement and commitment to the Cook Inlet watershed and its waters and lands helps keep our frustration at bay.
I must admit I had my doubts whether I wanted to lead our team when the interim opportunity arose in 2019. This work requires juggling and sprinting; I’m more of a distance runner with patience for long-term strategies to play out. But, I said yes because Cook Inlet is worth it.
When I agreed to officially take on the role as Executive Director in March 2020, one of the stipulations I had was that ‘science’ would stay in my title. I wanted to reinforce to our partners, supporters like you – and myself – that I would remain engaged in projects that track and build salmon habitat resiliency in a warming world.
But, to achieve our mission to protect the Cook Inlet watershed and the life it sustains requires so much more than well designed monitoring and research projects. If we are going to prevent the industrialization of Lower Cook Inlet: a web of pipelines, platforms, tankers and emissions, we must use all our strategies: science, outreach and advocacy.
Facts. Heart. Action. This is how we win in the end.
Last week, we filed a legal challenge to stop Lease Sale 258. The risk of oil spills to Alaska’s fisheries, subsistence cultures, emerging mariculture economy, and our beluga whales far outweigh the diminishing returns of new fossil fuel production. It’s a big decision to go to court, but Cook Inlet is worth it.
Today, I’m asking for your help so we can build our team to take on the daily challenges of not letting the spectacular Cook Inlet slip through our fingers and with enough capacity to create strategic solutions to achieve our vision of thriving and equitable communities in a resilient Cook Inlet watershed.
Thank you for considering and best wishes for a great year ahead,
Sue Mauger
Science & Executive Director
P.S. As we say goodbye to 2022, I hope you’ll help us end strong. Please join our growing community of monthly sustainers today. Your monthly gift – or if you prefer an end-of-the-year donation – will be put to good work. Please give what you can because Cook Inlet is worth it.