A Message from the Executive Director
Dear AMA Members and Friends, I’m very excited to tell you about the first ever Juneau Mining Forum, hosted by AMA and the Council of Alaska Producers! We Alaska miners love to get together each spring, after a long cold winter, and before heading afield for a long summer mining season. The great attendance at our past spring conventions in Fairbanks, and last year’s Mining Day celebration reinforced that. This isn’t actually a “new” thought. For some years, we hosted a Spring Convention in Juneau, in the alternating years when there wasn’t a Fairbanks event being held. We’d consulted with our Juneau Branch and concluded that while the traditional Convention setup wasn’t ideal for Juneau, we still want to host an event in the Capital City that showcases our industry and tells our story. We came up with a great idea for a one-day forum ... in 2020. I don’t have to tell you where that went, and as 2021 and 2022 passed, with pandemic-related gathering restrictions and then the capacity for venues to host us, we continued to pursue this idea. Finally, this March, we’re able to hold the Forum. We could not be more excited. Many Alaskans never knew, but we’d never forget, that there’d never have been a Juneau without mining. Our state capital today still sits upon the tailings of historic mines
as the Pogo Mine in Interior. We also feature sessions on critical and essential miners for Alaska and our nation, Transboundary mining, building the local workforce, environmental regulations at Alaska’s mines and projects, an update from AIDEA, and economic and community benefits of mining for Alaska. Our speakers hail from industry, regulatory agencies, academic and training entities, and the government of British Columbia. And, we’re both thrilled and appreciative that our sessions are being moderated by Senators Cathy Giessel and Jesse Kiehl, and Representatives Dan Saddler, Zack Fields and Josiah Patkotak! A complete agenda for the day is on page 4 of this Journal. Our primary goal is to educate attendees about the industry in Alaska and we here is the right place to get the minerals our nation needs — our environmental excellence, safety standards, community partnerships, and the long-term economic benefits and opportunities brought by mining. Karen Matthias from the Council of Alaska Producers and I are looking forward to telling our great story. More detail and updates are on our website at AlaskaMiners.org. Please join us!
REDUCE FUEL CONSUMPTION BY 8 % * OUR IRON WILL WAS TO
that were once the largest in the world and which heralded modern Alaska. Today, the Greens Creek and Kensington Mines are among the most successful and environmentally conscious mines in the world, and dozens of potential projects in Southeast (and statewide, for that matter) have a promising future. We’re assembled an impressive day of speakers for the Juneau Forum, representing those mines as well AMA Executive Director Deantha Skibinski recently testified to the Senate Labor & Commerce Committee on workforce challenges for the industry.
SO YOUR IRON WILL BE EVEN MORE EFFICIENT.
Deantha Skibinski, Executive Director
MISSION ACCOMPLISHED. INTRODUCING THE EX5600-7. See all the improvements at HitachiConstruction.com/EX5600-7.
Wade Gies Operations Manager
Clayton Dunn Sales and PSSR Fairbanks Branch
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.
ANCHORAGE BRANCH 5400 Homer Drive Anchorage, AK 99518
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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
Juneau, AK 99801 (907) 802-4242 (907) 802-4340 F
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IN YOUR CORNER The Winning Team
IN THE WORLD Hitachi, the best in construction equipment technology
IN ALASKA CMI, the best sales and product support lineup
Committee Chairmen Kevin Adler, Convention
Howard Grey and JP Tangen, Federal Oversight Mike Satre and Lorali Simon, State Oversight
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February 2023 I The Alaska Miner I www.alaskaminers.org
www.alaskaminers.org I The Alaska Miner I February 2023
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