Dear John,

In late July, we had one last shot to stop Pebble Mine’s permit for a toxic gold mine in Bristol Bay, Alaska. I worked my contacts day and night, asking people to speak out through every megaphone they could to protect North America’s greatest remaining salmon fishery.

That contact list included a few new fans: Washington insiders and others clued into this campaign through Stronghold, a 2019 book about my lifelong quest to save the world's wild salmon.

We were blown away by the response, including from many highly placed Republicans, who joined an already fierce and growing grassroots movement of Alaska Native Tribes, fishermen, hunters, business owners, outdoor industry leaders and wildlife advocates. This newly invigorated Pebble opposition movement dominated the media narrative in August, completely surrounding the mine politically, and wiping out any support in Washington.

For one moment, we all found common ground. Everybody agreed that mining in the Bristol Bay region was a terrible idea.

That’s the power of wild salmon and their home rivers. That’s the story of Stronghold. Over the last few years, thousands of new people from all walks have joined us in to the fight to save Bristol Bay and other great strongholds—the Skeena, the Olympic Peninsula, the rivers of Oregon’s Tillamook Forest, the Klamath. Many have read Stronghold and seen clearly that wild salmon truly are the key to saving these places. These fish give life to great rivers and to us. And their heroic life journey animates our struggle for wild places.

I’ve been humbled by how many people have connected with that journey and my own, as shared in Stronghold. And I’m blown away by how passionate people become about salmon once they read the book. One reader and supporter wrote to author Tucker Malarkey last week: "You've inspired us to do more conservation, collaborate more effectively, and treat people with more compassion. The next Guido could be that misunderstood 4th grader who loves nature."

We now see it as a springboard for growing the ranks of salmon champions everywhere. This week, Stronghold is out in paperback, with a great new cover photograph from our friend and WSC Ambassador Ken Morrish. An even more accessible story for the movement.

I hope you’ll read and share it.

And let’s keep the pressure on, to protect Bristol Bay forever.

Guido Rahr
President & Chief Executive

The mission of the Wild Salmon Center is to promote the conservation and sustainable use of wild salmon ecosystems across the Pacific Rim.

Bristol Bay sockeye photo credit: Cassie Bergman @Cassie_Bergman

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