A Message from the Executive Director
Dear AMA Members and Friends, Happy fall, Alaska Miners! I can’t believe it’s September already. It’s been an incredibly busy summer for all of us, and here’s a quick recap of some of what we’ve been doing. AMA joined businesses across Alaska to file a complaint challenging the repeal of the Roadless Rule exemption. This was done on the same day the State of Alaska and the Pacific Legal Foundations filed their challenges as well! As you likely saw, the State of Alaska filed a complaint to the U.S. Supreme Court to directly evaluate the EPA’s preemptive 404c veto at the Pebble Project. AMA is currently working to join several other organizations to file an Amicus Brief in support of this. Also, several Alaska trade groups submitted an opinion piece thanking the Governor and reminding of the broad implications to all industries. This month, the new WOTUS Rule was published in the Federal Register. Recall that EPA and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers had previously published this but had to revise it significantly following the Sackett decision. In August, AMA worked with Alaska Metal Mines (formerly CAP), to take legislators to Usibelli Coal Mine, Kinross Fort Knox and Northern Star Resources Pogo Mine. We had wonderful attendance from bipartisan legislators, staff and regulatory agencies, and they left with an immensely positive impression of our operations, the safety culture, environmental standards, the great people working at our mines, and so much more. Thank you so much to the mines for putting together these tours for our lawmakers! We again held three wonderful and successful Mining Day at the Fair events
and materials here in the United States. The funding, provided by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, will help meet the growing demand for critical minerals and materials while reducing our dependence on offshore supplies. By now you should have heard of the rebranding of what was formerly the Council of Alaska Producers, now known as Alaska Metal Mines. AK Metal Mines for short and AKM as an acronym, which captures their objectives to convey the importance of minerals in technology and the future. This month we are also celebrating Usibelli Coal Mine’s announcement that Sept. 6 they celebrated 1,000 days without a lost-time incident! Their success again provides amazing testament to the safety culture at the mine. We also are back to Zoom meetings every two weeks for the fall. Our schedule looking forward includes Sept. 22, Oct. 6 and 20, Nov. 3 and 17, and Dec. 1 and 15. Finally, the biggest event in Alaska mining is closer than you think. Our Annual Convention is being held Nov. 6-9 at the Dena’ina Center in Anchorage. I LOVE the theme our committee members came up with: Miners for Generations – from Boomers to Zoomers. Please check our website regularly as we update it as items get confirmed. And please reach out to Steve Teller (teller. steve@outlook.com) if you have requests for a specific speaker! And please email jennifer@alaskaminers.org to reserve your booth or sponsorship!
around the state. We really appreciate the partnership with Alaska Metal Mines and the fact that we get to show off our industry in front of Alaskans. The Tanana Valley Fair provided great weather on opening day, and we met, and gold panned with so many Interior residents. The Alaska State Fair was less fair weather, but we had a great time. A HUGE shout out to our friends at GPAA for doing gold panning for hours with a demanding crowd. And our Southeast members continue to carry all the water for the Southeast Alaska State Fair in Haines, showcasing our industry. Our summer Alaska Miner magazine is on our website and in your mailbox, and you will not want to miss this one. It’s chock full of updates like a profile of the dynamic father-daughter duo at Donlin Gold, Danny and Betty Twitchell, other Donlin coverage on their assistance to local communities during flooding, a spotlight on the legislative mine tours conducted this summer, AK Metal Mines’ rebranding, Alaska Railroad’s 100th anniversary and profiles of vendors who support us.
The Department of Energy has announced up to $150 million “to advance cost-effective and
Deantha Skibinski, Executive Director
environmentally responsible processes to produce and refine critical minerals
Executive Board Bartly Kleven, President Lorali Simon, First Vice President Blake Bogart, Second Vice President Kim Aasand, Treasurer
Branch Chairmen Ted Hawley, Anchorage
The Alaska Miner is the official journal of the Alaska Miners Association, published eight times a year exclusively to our members.
Rich Sivils, Denali Ken Hall, Fairbanks Liz Cornejo, Haines Jim Clark, Juneau Houston Morris, Kenai Ken Hughes, Nome Robert Fithian, Ketchikan/Prince of Wales
It is published in partnership with the Alaska Miners Association by Fireweed Strategies LLC, 4849 Potter Crest Circle, Anchorage, AK 99516.
We actively seek contributions from our members and the mining industry. Please email story ideas and photos to Lee Leschper. Advertising Rates and New Tips For advertising information, or to submit news, story ideas and photos, call or email Lee Leschper at 907-957-6025 or Lee.Leschper@FireweedStrategies.com Alaska Miners Association Staff Deantha Skibinski, Executive Director Jennifer Luiten, Membership and Fundraising Director Darlene Strickland, Bookkeeper/Membership
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Committee Chairmen Kevin Adler, Convention
Howard Grey and JP Tangen, Federal Oversight Mike Satre and Lorali Simon, State Oversight
www.alaskaminers.org I The Alaska Miner I September 2023
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