Ambler Road Project Receives Key Approval
Photo Courtesy AIDEA
In an important step toward providing access to the world class and strategically important Ambler Mining District in Northwest Alaska, the Department of the Interior has issued two decisions that authorize a right- of-way for a state of Alaska mining service road across federally managed lands. In support of the Trump Administration’s priorities to further critical mineral exploration and facilitate resource development, these decisions, prepared by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), and the National Park Service (NPS) with the U.S. Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), approve the route for the proposed 211 mile long road, from Milepost 161 on the existing Dalton Highway to the south bank of the Ambler River. “President Trump has long recognized why investments in infrastructure are vital to meet the urgent need for critical minerals,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Land and Minerals Management Casey Hammond. “The Trump Administration’s success today is a game changer for our nation’s ability to secure American prosperity and national security.” “This action fulfills the Alaska National Interest Lands
Conservation Act promise made forty years ago that creation of Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve would not block access to this minerals resource,” said Assistant Secretary for Fish and Wildlife and Parks Robert Wallace. “Congress mandated access across the Kobuk Preserve and this action delivers on that direction in a way that mitigates impacts on important Preserve resources.” The best-known carbonate-hosted copper deposit in Alaska is located in Bornite, also known as Ruby Creek, in the Ambler Mining District along the southern slopes of the Brooks Range. While renowned for its high copper grades, Bornite also hosts significant quantities of cobalt and potentially other critical minerals. The proposed Ambler Road will provide the access necessary for the development and production of these critical minerals to further the national security interests of the United States. “Federal approval of the Ambler Road is both timely and significant for Alaska’s future,” said U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski. “This project will provide the access needed to responsibly develop a number of high-grade mineral deposits, hopefully leading to greater production of copper, cobalt, zinc, silver, gold, and other metals.
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August 2020 I The Alaska Miner I www.alaskaminers.org
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