Wishbone Hill

A view of the Mat-Su Valley

The Mat Valley Coalition is a coalition of concerned property owners working to protect the quality of life in the Matanuska Valley.  They are committed to protecting their community and the economic future of the Matanuska Valley from the permanent negative impacts of coal mining.

Usibelli Coal’s proposed Wishbone Hill coal strip mine is located approximately 5 miles west of Sutton, Alaska and 10 miles north east of Palmer, Alaska. Although there were some mining activities in the early 20th century, Wishbone Hill is now surrounded by residential communities in Alaska’s fertile Matanuska Valley.  Usibelli Coal Mine finalized the purchase of 7,434 acres of Wishbone Hill leases in 1997.

Usibelli is planning an open pit mining operation within ¼ mile of established homes.  According to the Mat-Su Borough, there are 128 families within less than a mile on the down-wind side of the proposed site.  Studies irrefutably show that property values drop drastically near open put strip mines.

Usibelli plans to sell all of the coal to overseas buyers, leaving the Mat Su Valley with decreased property values and the permanent impacts of open pit coal mining while China, India, and Korea use Alaska’s coal to power their economies.

For more information, visit the websites of these local groups working to protect the Mat Su Valley from the permanent impacts of coal mining.

Mat Valley Coalition at www.matvalley.org

Castle Mountain Coalition at www.castlemountaincoalition.org

Download the Wishbone Hill Fact Sheet (PDF)