The board of the Yukon-Kuskokwim Health Corporation has donated money to the organization behind a controversial salmon habitat ballot initiative.
The exact dollar amount the YKHC board gave to the group, “Yes For Salmon," has not yet been disclosed, but a spokeswoman for the group confirmed the donation to KYUK. The YKHC board has declined to comment on its support for the proposition.
The group that's campaigning against the ballot measure, otherwise known as Ballot Measure 1, gained a lot of support from Donlin Gold, the company which seeks to develop a massive gold mine in the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta. Donlin contributed more than $1.2 million to Stand For Alaska. Separately, Canadian company NovaGold, one of Donlin’s partners, has contributed roughly $4,000.
A search of filings with the Alaska Public Offices Commission failed to turn up any contributions from the Calista Regional Native Corporation, which holds the mineral rights to the mine and is on record as opposing the ballot measure. Calista spokesman Thom Leonard confirmed that Calista did not donate to Stand For Alaska.