A Message from the Executive Director
“IMPACTS TO BRISTOL BAY SALMON ARE NOT EXPECTED TO BE MEASURABLE” THE FINAL ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT
Dear Members, Alaska Miners are doers. We go places most others would avoid, to find and deliver what the world needs. It’s what we do. The nature of dealing with vast challenges and distance, extreme conditions, unnerving economics, and the real mystery of digging in raw dirt to find precious metals, is enough to make people wonder why anybody even tries it. But Alaska’s miners don’t think twice about it. It’s what we do. We have had plenty of challenges to work with this year. What started in January as potentially one of the most productive, exciting years that miners in Alaska have seen in a decade, then spiraled into a pandemic- driven mess. But we quickly proved how essential, in every sense of the word, Alaska miners are. Embracing safety has always been at the core of everything we do as an industry and as individual miners. When the pandemic reached Alaska, we quickly worked across the industry to share best practices and advise protections to adopt responsible operations plans and develop protocols for the upcoming placer and exploration seasons. It’s what we do. But we did more than just maintain. We saw a major victory as SB155, the mineral tenure bill, was passed during the final days of the Legislature prior to taking a COVID safety recess. It is important to remember this major accomplishment on behalf of our industry and the champions in the Legislature that ensured its passage, and to look forward
alaska-miner-magazine. And if you have not yet voted for whatever reason, please vote Nov. 3. More than ever, every vote counts and we know miners vote. It’s what we do. We also know the camaraderie and kinship of like-minded folks who again take on the challenges and succeed. Our first ever virtual convention begins Nov. 1, and we continue to improve and refine the plans. I think you will be pleased. If you have attended our weekly Zoom statewide branch meetings that began this month, I hope you have been pleased as I have been with both the high attendance and the superb interaction. Zoom will never replace a firm handshake, a heartfelt hug, or a hearty laugh, but it is our newest tool, just like the mining tools we continue to find and use. We have chosen to make the virtual convention both free and open to the public, both to ensure it’s easy for you to attend and to let potential new members and other Alaskans learn more about our industry. Your association has faced our own challenges. We have lost significant revenue from our two cancelled in person events this year. We have lost personal face time from the weekly and monthly meetings that are so critical to us all. But we have never lost our dedication to our industry and especially to you, our individual members, families, and member companies. Thanks for what you do, for our state, our industry, and our association every day. See you on Zoom!
to its implementation. Throughout this hectic year, AMA has never stopped working on your behalf to ensure that regulations favor your ability to work, whenever possible. This also means not just fighting bad policies, but also collaborating with agencies to even further strengthen the good things coming out of our regulators. Issues like National Park Service regulations revisions to implement the Supreme Court Sturgeon decision, new mining regulations following the passage of SB155, a total exemption of the Roadless Rule in the Tongass, new Executive Orders to grow the mineral supply chain, and so many others that can help to grow the mining industry in Alaska. As you are reading this, I hope you have already voted, either absentee or early, in this historic, critical November general election. From top to bottom of the ballot, the decisions we make this month will have major, long term implications for our nation, our state, and our industry. For that reason, we devoted a large part of our October Alaska Miner magazine to the issues and candidates in this election. You can read that full election guide in the magazine online at www.alaskaminers.org/
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Fifteen years of scientific analysis. $150 million in environmental studies. An objective regulatory review. ONE FINAL CONCLUSION.
Deantha Skibinski, Executive Director
www. Right Mine Right Time .com
Executive Board Bill Jeffress, President SRK Consulting, Anchorage Bartly Kleven, First Vice President Kinross-Fort Knox, Fairbanks Lorali Simon, Second Vice President Kim Aasand, Treasurer Aasand & Glore LLC, Anchorage
Branch Chairmen Ted Hawley, Anchorage Lorali Simon, Denali Mark Huffington, Fairbanks
The Alaska Miner is the official journal of the Alaska Miners Association, published eight times a year exclusively to our members.
It is published in partnership with the Alaska Miners Association by Fireweed Strategies LLC, 4849 Potter Crest Circle, Anchorage, AK 99516.
Liz Cornejo, Haines Jim Clark, Juneau
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
Houston Morris, Kenai Blake Bogart, Nome Andrew Spokely, Ketchikan/Prince of Wales
Committee Chairmen Kevin Adler, Convention Howard Grey and JP Tangen, Federal Oversight Paul Glavinovich, State Oversight
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November 2020 I The Alaska Miner I www.alaskaminers.org
www.alaskaminers.org I The Alaska Miner I November 2020
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