OPINION: Donlin Gold deserves fair hearing based on facts Untapped gold deposit will help transform rural Alaska
BY CHUCK KOPP A s someone who has long supported responsible nat- ural resource development in Alaska, I’ve seen how misin- formation can erode public trust and undermine opportunities — especially in regions where those opportunities are few and hard-won. A recent opinion
national context. Both the Biden and Trump Administrations have priori- tized strengthening domestic supply chains for gold and critical miner- als as a matter of national security. Alaska is central to that mission. The Department of Defense and the Department of Energy have signaled strong support for responsibly de- veloped mining projects here. We have a rare alignment of federal support, regional leadership, and long-term economic need. This could be a renaissance moment for responsible mining in Alaska. But standing in the way are outside groups who have turned obstruction into a business mod- el. These NGOs raise money not by helping rural Alaskans — but by attacking every energy, mining, and infrastructure project in sight, regardless of the science or the per- mitting record. They don’t answer to the families who pay $9 a gallon for heating oil. They don’t answer to Calista shareholders trying to build a better life in the region. The Donlin project’s 316-mile natural gas pipeline could help lower energy costs across the Y-K region. That is real infrastructure. That is economic justice. And it is exactly what’s at stake when we allow loud, well-funded outside interests to override the voices of those who actually live there. Calista Corp. has not run from accountability. It has led — with care, with commitment, and with consistent engagement. Donlin Gold isn’t just a mining project. It’s a path forward. And if we believe in a stronger Alaska — one that includes our most remote re- gions — we should be supporting that path, not blocking it. Rep. Chuck Kopp of Anchorage rep - resents District 10 in the Alaska House of Representatives and currently serves as House majority leader
their technical expertise. Donlin met the test. And after the permits were granted, over $220 million more was invested into the project and the surrounding region to prepare for development and support local communities. Despite that, na- tional environmental groups filed
suit. In September 2024, the U.S. Dis- trict Court for Alaska ruled against nearly every one of their claims. The only remaining issue is a narrow question
piece titled “Calista needs to stop run- ning away from its shareholders and face the facts on Don- lin” misrepresents both the Donlin Gold project and Calis- ta Corp., which has consistently shown
about whether NEPA required additional analysis of a hypo- thetical worst-case tailings release. That’s not misconduct — that’s due process. And it’s already caused unnecessary delays. The claim that Calista is ignor- ing its shareholders is simply false. Calista has been open, consistent and deeply engaged. Since the 1990s, more than 200 community meet- ings have been held to discuss the Donlin project. In just the past year, Calista and Donlin Gold conducted 18 separate community visits to provide updates and answer questions — not including open house events in Anchorage and Bethel. This is not a company that is “running away.” It is walking directly into rooms full of ques- tions—and answering them. That is leadership. Shareholder hire rates at Donlin have been as high as 90% during past field seasons. This year, they’re in the 70% range. That’s not to- kenism — it’s real, local ownership of opportunity. And it’s happening because Calista has stayed at the table, pushing for benefits that will endure for generations. Let’s also talk about the broader
strong and thoughtful leadership in representing the interests of its shareholders and region. Donlin Gold is not a reckless gamble. It’s one of the largest untapped gold deposits on Earth, with a 34-million-ounce reserve located in Alaska’s Yukon-Kus- kokwim region — an area larger than Pennsylvania that struggles with some of the highest energy costs and least developed infra- structure in the country. Donlin offers the kind of transformative, generational opportunity that rural Alaska has waited decades for. This is not a rushed project. Donlin has been in development for over 30 years. In 2012, it entered the federal permitting process. Af- ter six years of exhaustive environ- mental review under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the project received its Clean Water Act Section 404 permit from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and a federal right-of-way from the Bu- reau of Land Management. These were not rubber-stamped. Federal agencies applied the full weight of
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The Alaska Miner
Summer 2025
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