ACTION ALERT

Thank you to the Alaska Miners Association for the following alert:

Overview

Currently, the Alaska Industrial Development and Export Authority (AIDEA) is pursuing access to realize growth potential in untapped regions of Alaska.  AIDEA has proposed to construct a road from the Dalton Highway to the Ambler Mining District, to facilitate mine development. Right now, Department of Natural Resources Division of Mining, Land, and Water is reviewing applications for a private exclusive easement to accommodate the road, and a site specific plan to manage the lands. 

Action Requested:

RDC members are encouraged to comment in support of the Ambler Access Project before the April 1^st deadline.

Consider using AMA’s new, fast “click to comment” tool that has a prepared letter.  This will take you less than one minute!

Click to Comment: Ambler Road Private Exclusive Easement  

Click to Comment: Ambler Road Site Specific Plan

Comments may be submitted to:

Site Specific Plan

Nina Brudie, Land Use Planner
Alaska Department of Natural Resources
550 W. 7th Ave., Suite 1050
Anchorage, AK 99501-3579
Phone: 907-269-8529
Email: [email protected]
Fax: 907-269-8915

Exclusive Easement

Points to consider: 

•  Alaska’s lack of infrastructure, most notably of which is roads, is a key recurring theme when looking at the challenges facing future opportunities for Alaskans. Access to untapped areas of Alaska is critical to grow our economy.  Building roads to areas with resource potential incentivizes and promotes investment into new, diversified business in our state.

• For an actual mine to be developed, or even a road project, an extensive process involving multiple local, state, and federal agencies with dozens of science-based environmental permits would commence.

• Public engagement on developing access to remote Alaska has been and will continue to be extensive. The State’s permitting process alone contains over a dozen permits where public notice is required and comments are solicited.  Federal permits, local government approvals, and private company policies contain significant additional opportunities for the public to engage. 

• Land planning for Alaska specifically addressed these areas as ones to be pursued for access: 

• For Ambler, the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act (ANILCA) specifically guarantees access to the Ambler Mining District, which required the federal land management plan to accommodate: “This RMP addresses rights-of-way corridors to the fullest extent possible and include:
1. the Trans-Alaska Pipeline Utility Corridor and
2.  the Ambler Mining District/Dalton Highway access corridor [Sec. 201(4)(b) ANILCA]."

Comments were due on April 1, 2022