The Pebble Partnership welcomed the recent announcement by the Alaska Community Foundation that the first $1 million in grants from the Pebble Fund have been awarded to 33 applicants in the Bristol Bay region.
“One of our core principles is to help build sustainable communities and that is why we started the Pebble Fund. I am pleased and encouraged that the Pebble Fund board was able to meet a diverse cross section of community needs in the Bristol Bay region. This clearly demonstrates we will meet our commitments,” said John Shively, CEO of the Pebble Partnership. “We are looking forward to the next round of applications and grants later this year.”
The Pebble Fund was established in February 2008 as a five-year, $5 million commitment to support community-led initiatives that enhance the health of Bristol Bay fisheries and contribute to a sustainable economic future in southwest Alaska. Administered by the non-profit Alaska Community Foundation, Pebble Fund grant criteria and awards were determined by an advisory board of citizens representing communities from throughout the Bristol Bay region.
Shively also commended the work done by the board of the fund noting they spent three days reviewing all of the applications while deciding which grants met the criteria for dispersing funds.
“My hat is off to the Pebble Fund board. This was important work that will hopefully make a difference in their communities. There are many challenges facing the region, including the high cost of energy and limited economic opportunities. It is our hope that projects financed by the Pebble Fund will help communities tackle some of these challenges,” Shively said.
Based in Anchorage AK, the Pebble Partnership was established in July 2007 as a 50:50 partnership between a wholly-owned affiliate of Northern Dynasty and a wholly-owned subsidiary of Anglo American plc. To retain its 50% interest in PLP, Anglo American is required to continue the staged investment of $1.425 billion to advance the Pebble Project toward permitting and operations.