Critics sue over mine exploration near Alaska eagle preserve

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — An Alaska Native tribe and three environmental groups sued the U.S. government, claiming an agency granted mineral exploration permits without considering how a mine could affect a major salmon river and bald eagle preserve.

The lawsuit filed Monday by the Chilkat Indian village of Klukwan calls for revocation of the permits granted to Constantine Metal Resources Ltd. upstream of the Chilkat River near the port of Haines in southeast Alaska.

Tlingit Indians thrived because of the abundance of salmon in the watershed, Klukwan tribal president Kimberly Strong said in a s...