Dunleavy’s direction, the state bypassed the normal appeals process by going directly to the United States Supreme Court to challenge the E.P.A. It’s no mystery why: Since last year, the Supreme Court has gut-punched the E.P.A. In fact, a recent poll found that 74 percent of Alaska’s voters are still concerned that the E.P.A.’s rejection of the project won’t do enough to protect the Bristol Bay watershed from large-scale mining. The initial petitions that led to the E.P.A.’s veto were filed by six Bristol Bay tribes and later joined by a consortium of other federally recognized tribes. Last summer alone, this single fishery produced a record run of nearly 80 million fish, surpassing a succession of annual record runs year after year.

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Persons: Dunleavy, ’, ” Alannah Hurley, “ Organizations: Gov, United States, Bristol, Natural Resources Defense Council, “, United Locations: Bristol, United Tribes, Bristol Bay