Hard Rock Mine Proposal Earns Chilkat River #6 Spot on America’s Most Endangered Rivers® List of 2026

Contact:
Hawk Hammer, National Communications and Media Director, Hhammer@americanrivers.org
Rose Fudge, Chilkat Forever, Community Organizer, info@chilkatforever.org
Brian Willard, Tribal Administrator, Chilkat Indian Village (Klukwan), 907-767-5505 Ext. 231, klukwan@chilkat-nsn.gov

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Chilkat River (Jilkáat Héeni), the lifeblood of Klukwan, Alaska Native communities, and home to the largest congregation of Bald Eagles on Earth, has been named to America’s Most Endangered Rivers® list of 2026 due to a large-scale hard rock mine proposed along one of its major tributaries. 

Canadian Vizsla Copper Corporation recently took ownership of the long-proposed mine. Known as the “Palmer Project,” it would involve drilling into thousands of acres of acid-generating rock, threatening the surrounding watershed with metal-laden wastewater, hydrocarbons, and other pollutants. The land is currently owned by the State of Alaska and the U.S. government and is the unceded traditional territory of the Chilkat Indian Village (Klukwan). 

“The reliability of harvesting essential foods from the land and waters, including wild stock, Pacific salmon from the Chilkat River, is critical to us in Alaska.  We can’t eat gold or nonessential minerals that the “Palmer Project” promises to extract from our food pantry. Visitors to the Chilkat Valley arrive hoping to capture a view of the majestic mountains, a soaring American Bald Eagle, or catch a glimpse of wildlife. People do not come here to float in an acidic river. As the original stewards of our land, it is our responsibility to ensure future generations will have the food security that has sustained us for millennia,” said President Kimberley Strong, Chilkat Indian Village (Klukwan). 

“Many community members in the Chilkat Valley do not want to see this project move forward. Hundreds of Chilkat Valley residents, including business owners, commercial fishermen, and young families, have voiced their concerns about the potential negative impacts of a large-scale hardrock mine in our community. There’s just too much at stake for anybody who hunts, fishes, or recreates here,” said Rose Fudge, Chilkat Forever Community Organizer 

The Chilkat River flows approximately 52 miles from the Chilkat Glacier in British Columbia, across the border into Alaska, past the Chilkat Indian Village (Klukwan), to the Chilkat Inlet near Haines, Alaska. The Chilkat River is also vital to the Village of Klukwan (Tlákw Aan) — which means “Eternal Village” in Lingít — and is one of the oldest continuously occupied communities in North America. 

The river is crucial to the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve and supports five species of salmon and a large brown bear population.

“There is no defensible justification, none, for jeopardizing the future of this river, the health of the people, or the survival of the incomparable fish and wildlife that depend on this river,” said Sarah Dyrdahl, Northwest regional director for American Rivers.

Gov. Mike Dunleavy (R-AK) has pledged state support for the mine, and exploration is moving forward. However, the public can still influence the future of the mine as the permitting process moves forward. American Rivers and our partners are calling on the public to reach out to Alaska state leaders to reject all future permits and state funding for hard-rock mining

Infrastructure for the Palmer Project. 

For more details on this river and the full America’s Most Endangered Rivers® list of 2026, including the selection process, click here. 

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American Rivers is a national conservation organization working to make every river clean and healthy for people and wildlife. We combine evidence-based solutions with enduring partnerships to safeguard the 4.4 million miles of rivers and streams that are essential to our nation’s clean drinking water, extraordinary wildlife, and the strength of our communities. For more than 50 years, our staff, supporters, and partners have been driven by a common belief: Life Depends on Rivers®. AmericanRivers.org

Chilkat Forever is a collaborative group led by the Chilkat Indian Village (Klukwan) working to channel the power of the Chilkat River to protect Haa Kusteeyí (our way of life) to keep the river pristine and full of wild stock salmon — forever.