Tuxedni Bay, known as Tuk?ezitnu in the Dena?ina language, is not just a stunning wilderness; it?s a vital sanctuary for endangered Cook Inlet belugas, embedded in the west side of Cook Inlet?s ?bear coast? and kitty-corner to the Tuxedni Wilderness- home to the largest seabird colony in Cook Inlet. Tuxedni Bay is also the preferred location for the proposed transportation corridor for the Johnson Tract mine, a non-critical minerals (gold) project in advanced exploration stages that would include a marine terminal, a haul road, a port site, and ore barges. Art by Jessica Thornton