THE ALASKA MINER MAGAZINE: Our magazine is published quarterly and delivered to both the members of the Alaska Miners Association and to key decision-makers and leaders in Alaska and beyond. Our goal is to educate, advocate, and lead our industry as one of the strongest, oldest, and most productive corporate citizens in Alaska. AMA’s mission is to promote responsible mineral development in Alaska. We provide key communication between our members, the industry, and policymakers in and out of Alaska. Each issue includes news and information important to our industry and our constituents.
Fall 2022 Volume 50, Number 10 AlaskaMiners.org
Alaska Mining: Rock On! See You in Anchorage for Our Annual Convention!
INSIDE THIS ISSUE n Complete Convention Details! n What November Elections Mean n New Projects Moving Forward n Profile: Roger Burggraf’s First 90!
ALASKA’S MOST ADVANCED NETWORK GOES BEYOND CONNECTIVITY AND ENABLES ADVANCED OPERATIONS IN THE MOST REMOTE PLACES ON EARTH
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Executive Director’s Report
Dear AMA Members and Friends,
I can’t believe we will all actually be back togeth- er again! What would we have said, if anyone had told us in 2019 that it would be the last in person Convention for three years? I’m so proud of us: as we miners always do, we made the best of it, persevered, adapted and stayed connected via zoom and email and lots of phone calls. And as we saw with our first big event, Min - ing Day 2022 in Fairbanks, we really did miss seeing each other in person. AMA is the largest business association in Alaska and amongst the largest mining association in the country — because of our membership. We are also without a doubt the most engaged. When we ask you for help, whether it be attending or testifying or contributing, you step up. I think others take it for granted sometimes that, when you need something done, ask Alaska miners. Whether it is responding to a natural disaster, as happened in Haines last year on in Western Alaska recently, or a global pandemic, or a manmade di- saster like continuing attempts to stop strong, safe, responsible, needed projects, you answer the call. It is in our nature. We deal with impossible every day. What is the old saying … we do the difficult every day … the impossible just takes a little longer. So much of what we are dealing with is sadly manmade, in the form of government policy defies logic. Like the assumption that a new green ener- gy society can happen instantly, with fairy dust and wishful thinking. Or that energies of our way of life will still provide the critical minerals that power most everything we do. However — common sense seems to be slow- ly, quietly beginning to creep into conversations at a high level. Which brings us to our direction from here. Let’s look at the 2022 Annual Convention! We chose Rock On! as our convention theme be- cause it represents the essence of Alaska mining. Through the challenges and obstacles, we also have a lot to share, discuss and act upon. The world has not stopped, the need has not changed. And neither have the challenges. Our convention committee and host of volunteers have planned an awesome full week of programs for us. Our sponsors and hundreds of trade show exhib-
itors have committed money, time, and resources to make it all possible. Please join us in person this year. I miss you! Also please invite your friends and business as- sociates. And if they cannot attend, share with them what you learn and see. I know you are as ready as we are to be together, to share a laugh and a good story and a big hug. And to plan ahead for next. Because we are ready to Rock On!
Deantha Skibinski AMA Executive Director
Please see complete AMA Convention coverage on Pages 26-40 and visit our website at AlaskaMiners.org for more information.
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ON THE COVER: An Engineer of Northern Star Resources’ Pogo Mine. Photo courtesy Northern Star Resources ON THIS PAGE: Water management is a key component of and priority for all Alaska mining operations, like here at Teck Red Dog Mine.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
2 Executive
26 Welcome to
Director’s Report
Convention 2022
4 Letter from President
32 Convention At-A-Glance 42 Pebble Project Conscientious 44 Mining Business and Service Directory 58 Coming Events
Bartly Kleven 14 Ranked Choice: What We Learned 16 Faces in Mining: Roger Burggraf 20 SE Alaska Mines Doing Well
The Alaska Miner is dedicated to those who work in and support the mining industry in Alaska, its commitment to the people, and resources of our state. Our magazine is published quarterly and delivered to both the members of the Alaska Miners Association and to key decision makers and leaders in Alaska and beyond. Our goal is to educate, advocate and lead our industry as one of the strongest, oldest and most productive corporate citizens in Alaska. AMA’s mission is to promote responsible mineral development in Alaska.
EDITORIAL CALENDAR
ALASKA MINERS ASSOCIATION STAFF
Winter 2022 Legislative and Season Preview Spring 2023 Project Updates Summer 2023 People in Mining Fall 2023 Annual Anchorage Convention
Executive Director
Deantha Skibinski Jennifer Luiten Darlene Strickland
Membership and Fundraising Director
Bookkeeping and Membership
EXECUTIVE BOARD
BRANCH CHAIRMEN
Bartly Kleven President, Kinross Alaska, Fairbanks Lorali Simon First Vice President, Usibelli Coal Mine, Healy Blake Bogart Second Vice President, Graphite One Inc., Nome Kim Aasand Treasurer, Aasand & Glore LLC., Anchorage
Ted Hawley Anchorage Richard Sivils Denali Ken Hall Fairbanks Liz Cornejo Haines Jim Clark Juneau
Houston Morris Kenai Ken Hughes Nome Robert Fithian Ketchikan/
Prince of Wales
The Alaska Miner 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. For advertising information or news tips, call or email publisher Lee Leschper at 907-957-6025 or Lee.Leschper@FireweedStrategies.com.
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President’s Message From Bartly Kleven
We're Alaska strong, and we're here to stay
"The strength of our industry in Alaska has been built on rocks. The great rocks in our ground … Alaska does have great rocks. And the rock- solid people who go to work and mine those rocks every day. We are stronger together." W elcome back! And Rock On! Welcome to our first annual conven - tion in person in three years.
able to work. But it became immediately clear that mining is among Alaska’s most critical industries, supporting both our state’s economy and our min- ing families. And I am so proud of how you, every one of us, stepped up and went to work every day, mining the best we know. Then, as if the pandemic were not enough, the fall 2020 election brought in a radically different administration in Washington D.C., reversing four years of positive Federal support for Alaska min- ing. In 2021, we were not just treading water. While other industries were shut down or relying on Fed- eral support, we just rocked on. Despite a growing, cascading, relentless string of Federal assaults on our efforts. And our twin challenge, of producing more of the minerals that America really needs, while having both hands tied behind our backs. It is a bit time-worn to say, but those challenges have made us stronger. We got through these tough times. We are back together and stronger than ever. The strength of our industry in Alaska has been built on rocks. The great rocks in our ground … Alaska does have great rocks. And the rock-solid people who go to work and mine those rocks every day. We are stronger together. I will not kid you. We have big challenges before us. But we can do this! Rock on Alaska!
For many of us, it is impossible to separate what is the Alaska Miners Association with what is our traditional annual conventions. Convention is hardly the right word. What this week represents is far more. It is family reunion, really good business, branding who we are to outsiders, adventure, education, networking, and a whole lot of friends and fun. It is one of the biggest, best events of any kind in Alaska each year. And it is all ours. But this is also our chance to plant our flag in the ground, stick out our chests and proudly de- clare “We are Alaska miners! We are Alaska strong! And we are here to stay!” We chose “Rock On!” for this year’s convention theme because it reflects who we are and what we are. We have had to stay the course through three of the most challenging years in the history of our state. It is a little intimidating to look back. In 2019, we were just coming up from several tough years of low mineral prices that hurt explorers as well as existing operations, and there was a lot to be optimistic about. Then the pandemic hit. At first, we were not even sure we would be
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Sign up and share the Alaska Miner The Alaska Miner is mailed statewide to Alaska business, government and Native leaders. Subscriptions are complimentary — to sign up just email address and contact information to admin@FireweedStrategies.com. And if you’re already receiving the Miner, sign up your team members and clients who also need to be reading the latest good news about Alaska mining!
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It’s a go for high-grade Mahn Choh gold project
Kinross Gold Corp. and Contango ORE, Inc. are proceeding with con- struction of the high-grade Mahn Choh gold project east or Fairbanks and Delta Junction. The deposit is on lands owned by Tetlin Native Corp. about 20 miles southeast of Tok in Alaska’s eastern Interior. Tetlin is on the Tetlin River between Tetlin Lake and the Tanana River. Preliminary construction at the mine has already started and produc- tion of ore is expected to begin in late 2024, according to schedules released by the two companies July 28. Kinross, a major mining company, is managing the project. Kinross also owns the large Fort Knox gold mine near Fairbanks and will own 70 per- cent of the Mahn Choh mine. Contan - go ORE, which owns the remaining 30 percent, is a small minerals compa-
ny that led the initial exploration at Mahn Choh working with the Tetlin village Tetlin Native Corporation, the landowner, holds 100 percent of the mineral rights and will receive the mining royalties. Tetlin is a small village corporation formed under the 1971 Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act, or ANCSA. The community has a population of about 400. It owns 743,147 acres that were formerly in the Tetlin Reserve formed by President Herbert Hoover in 1930. In 1971 ANCSA did away with Na- tive reserves in Alaska including Tetlin and gave local villages the right to se- lect and own reserve lands including mineral rights, a provision Tetlin took advantage of. What’s different in this is that most Alaska Native corporations own- ing lands conveyed under ANCSA are
required to share 70 percent of natu- ral resource income with other Native corporations. But the revenue-shar- ing provision does not apply to Tetlin. Its shareholders get to keep all of the mining royalties Development the mine is expected to cost about $180 million, Contan- go ORE said in a press release, and this includes about $30 million for the purchase of a fleet of heavy bulk ore trucks to move ore from Mahn Choh Fairbanks to the process mill at Kinross’ Fort Knox Mine. Kinross said Mahn Choh is expect - ed to produce about 225,000 ounces of gold per year over 4.5 years. At aver- age costs of $900 per ounce. Assum- ing a gold price of $1,500 per ounce this leaves a $800 per ounce “mar- gin,” or gross profit.
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Ambler Metals completes $26M exploration program
Ambler Metals is completing a successful $26 million exploration season at projects in the western Brooks Range. Three rigs were active with three helicopters in support, and about 80 people to 85 people were typically working out of the compa- ny’s support camp at Bornite though the summer. The work was done safely and on schedule, said Ramzi Fawaz, Ambler Metals’ CEO. Last year bad weather delayed portions of the company’s work, which has been ongoing for several years. There was good weather through most of the 2022 season, however. About 10,000 meters of explo- ration drilling was completed with 7,500 meters of this at the compa- ny’s high-grade Arctic deposit and the remainder at nearby exploration targets in the Ambler district and at Bornite, a historic upper Kobuk River copper discovery that is also nearby, Fawaz said. Cores from the drilling is now be- ing sent to laboratories for analysis with results expected by the end of the year, Fawaz said. The company also had several teams at work on soil sampling and mapping at Ambler as well as the Bornite mineral belt.. About 4,000 soil samples were gathered for analy- sis. A 2023 summer exploration pro- gram similar in scope to this year’s is expected, Fawaz said. Exploration at Arctic is well ad- vanced. “We are in the final stages of completing the pre-feasibility study (for Arctic) and will then move into the feasibility study phase,” he said. The pre-feasibility study is ex- pected to produce a capital cost es- timate with +/- 25 percent accuracy, after which Ambler Metals will sub - mit a Section 404 federal dredge and fill permit application, which will also trigger the federal Environmen- tal Impact Statement process. When and if Arctic moves to a final Feasibility Study the cost estimate will be refined to a +/- 15 percent to 10 percent range, Fawaz said. “The pre-feasibility study identi-
fies the recommended option to car - ry forward the project and includes advancing the basic engineering and cost estimates to confirm and refine the business case for the selected op- tion. If the Project still makes sense at this juncture, things proceed to the Feasibility Stage and the EIS is initi- ated,” he said. “The Feasibility Study itself de- fines the details necessary to exe - cute and achieve the business case and to further de-risk the project by advancing the basic engineering, execution planning and developing better accuracy cost estimates and project economics. This readies the project to take a Final Investment Decision,” he said. Ambler Metals’ prospects in the region are mainly copper but there is also zinc, which is considered a critical mineral by the federal gov- ernment. The new federal Inflation Reduction Act includes special tax incentives for new mining projects with at least one critical mineral and presence of zinc would appear to
qualify Arctic for these. Cobalt is also present at the Bor- nite prospect, as well as copper, but Ambler Metals needs to better under - stand the options to mine and pro- cess the cobalt. For example, Fawaz said the company is studying poten- tial new technologies that might see extraction of cobalt from copper tail- ings. If this works there could be the initial mining of copper with the tailings stored. Extraction of cobalt from the tailings, normally a waste material, would then follow. The Bornite and Ambler pros- pects are legacy Alaska discoveries made decades ago, in the 1960s in the base of Bornite. Development has been thwarted by lack of transpor- tation access, but the State of Alaska is planning a 211-mile industrial ac- cess road that would connect the re- gion to the existing Dalton Highway, the north-south road that connects North Slope oilfields to the Interior Alaska state highway system.
— Tim Bradner
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Photos Courtesy Ambler Metals
Environmental survey along proposed Ambler Access route.
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Rock On! How to use this Convention Guide This issue of The Alaska Miner is dedicated to the 2022 AMA Annual Convention and Trade Show. Find everything you need to know about
the convention on these pages:
26 Welcome!
28 Trade Show
30 Schedule at A Glance
32 Prospectors’ Tent
33 Core Shack
34 Sponsors
37 Special Discounts
38 Short Courses
40 Banquet
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Ranked-choice voting results for Alaska
SPECIAL TO THE ALASKA MINER The new ranked-choice voting sys- tem worked better than many expect- ed in the special election Aug. 16 to fill out the late Congressman Don Young’s term, although it had a surprising re-
sult. Election officials said most voters showing up at polling stations seemed to understand the new system and had few questions. Credit for that is giv- en the extensive educational efforts by the Division of Election and groups
like the American Association of Re- tired Persons. The new process had voters in the special election rank their picks one through four with second, third and fourth choices reallocated if no one candidate achieved 51 percent in the initial count. As it turned out there were only three choices on the ballot after Al Gross, a Democrat, withdrew. Mary Peltola, Sarah Palin, and Nick Begich were left on the ballot. The surprise was that many of Be- gich’s voters picked Peltola, a Demo- crat, as their second choice. It had been widely expected that many conservative Alaskans supporting Begich, a Repub- lican conservative, would choose Palin, also conservative, as their second choice. Many did — about 50 percent of Begich voters, but many also chose Peltola, about 29 percent of Begich supporters, and that was enough to push Peltola over 50 percent in the fi - nal count. Much of the post-election analysis held the election showed a large ambiv- alence among Alaskans to Palin, who is a former governor and also a 2008 U.S. vice presidential candidate with John McCain, the presidential candidate. Palin has had little presence in the state since then. Peltola is a former state legislator who represented Southwest Alaska communities in the state House for 10 years, but she, too, has been out of public service for many years. Although Peltola is unknown to most Alaskans some analysts believe the campaign rancor between Palin and Begich irritated many voters and sent them looking for a quieter voice. They turned to Peltola. In any event, the three square off again in the November general election for the full two-year congressional term. The Aug. 16 primary had elimi- nated a large number of other contend- ers and one other Alaska Native female candidate, Tara Sweeney, withdrew. When that happened another candi- date, Chris Bye of Fairbanks, a Liber- tarian, would up with enough votes to be in fourth place and will now be on the November ballot. This election is also
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ranked choice and Peltola, Palin and Be- gich are still in the race, so Peltola must again attract enough of Begich’s second choice votes to secure 51 percent, defeat Palin and win the full two-year term. Most expect Peltola to eventually prevail in November because of the strength of her first-round votes in August and because experience has shown that most voters, hav- ing made their decisions, do not change their minds in the weeks between primary and general elections. The other race closely watched in August was for the U.S. Senate seat now held by Lisa Murkowski, who faces a challenge from Kelly Tshibaka, a conservative. Murkowski led in the primary with 45 percent of the vote to 38.5 per- cent for Tshibaka but will face Tshibaka again in Novem- ber. This election is ranked-choice, so there will be voters’ second and third choices reallocated. Tshibaka has run an energetic campaign while Murkow - ski quietly focused on delivering new federal funds and pro- grams through her position on the Senate Appropriations Committee. Murkowski is expected to prevail in November. Similarly, incumbent Gov. Mike Dunleavy, a Republi - can, made a strong showing in the August primary with 40.4 percent of the vote over his main challengers, former legislator Les Gara, a Democrat, who had 23 percent of the vote; former Gov. Bill Walker, who had 22.7 percent, and former Kenai Borough mayor Charlie Pierce, a conservative Republican, favored by 6.6 percent of voters. Dunleavy, Walker, Gara and Pierce square off again in November this round will be ranked-choice, which means voters’ alternative picks, when reallocated among the four candidates. Whether this will be enough to overcome Dun- leavy’s first-round lead is unknown.
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In each issue of The Alaska Miner, we interview an outstanding leader in and member of our industry. This time we are talking with Roger Burggraf, who has spent decades in Alaska mining and resource development and recently celebrated his 90th birthday. Faces of Mining
Roger Burggraf Happy Hill Mining Company
BY LEE LESCHPER When Roger Burggraf celebrated his 90th birthday ear- lier this summer in Fairbanks, he had a bit of birthday cake with some friends, then did what he does every day. He went back to work. For most of 70 years, Roger has worked and explored and built and mined in Alaska. He has had enough adven- tures for ten lifetimes. And he’s not done yet. Along the way, he has dedicated his life in Alaska to causes he believes in, everything from training sled dogs to mining, resource development and lowering energy costs. Growing up in New York State, he had been on his own since age 14, and worked on farms and ranches from Up- state New York to Wyoming. A love of wild things and ad- venture and a desire for knowledge led him to the opportu- nity to attend college at Cornell University. “It was a great experience, and I made many lifelong friends there.” While going to college he made the best of his time seek- ing adventure and work. He traveled to Alaska the first time and found work in Tom Morgan’s lumber mill. After the mill shut down, he worked const ruction setting power lines going to the airport and residential area north of Juneau. Roger loved playing sports and played 150-pound foot-
ball and lacrosse while at Cornell. He joined a small frater- nity and waited tables and washed dishes to help pay his way through while at the fraternity. His primary major was wildlife management, and geology and agriculture. During his second year at Cornell, he spent the summer months working in Alaska. “I lived with a family and
got a job with Smith Dairy working in the milk plant. The family I lived with loved it because I was able to bring home free milk, ice cream and other dairy products. His next summer job was for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service as a “fisheries aide,” more correctly a stream guard, protecting spawning salmon from poachers. There, his ad- ventures really began. “First thing was they asked if I was afraid of bears. I said I’d been around them and knew to respect them. And they said ‘we’ve got just the spot for you! So, they handed me an old Enfield .30/06 and dropped me off in Glacier Bay.” Provisions were meager so he quickly began living off the land, which he relished, except for the bugs. “Lot of times mosquitoes were so bad I would take the boat out in the middle of the bay. A seal popped his head out of the water, and I was hungry for meat, so I shot the seal. I got to shore, cut off a piece and put it in the frying pan. And it smelled awful! Next, I cut out the liver, fried it and boy it was good!” He had crafted a primitive cooler, kept stocked with ice from passing icebergs and kept his provisions cold. “Besides the seal liver and fish, I feasted on Dunge - ness crabs and clams, and t he blueberries and strawberries which were abundant.” With no neighbors and a job guarding the creek full of salmon, he reveled in the wilderness. “They gave me a boat and motor and tent and orders to not let any fishermen fish out the creek. I did stream sur - veys too. It was like a paid vacation!” “I’d go upstream, catch dollies, smoke the small ones and eat them like candy when out in the field.” The brown bears who also came to fish provided adven - tures as well. “I had a couple of close calls when working around brown bears. “When I came to Alaska I couldn’t afford a modern pis - tol, but I felt better packing a pistol, so I had an old Civil War cap-and-ball revolver that I had gotten from my step- father.” For clarification, a cap-and-ball pistol uses black pow - der and when fired, produces lots of white smoke.
Photo Courtesy Roger Burggraf A young Roger during his U.S. Fish and Wildlife days, with a sow brown bear he had to shoot in self-defense.
CONTINUED on PAGE 18
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W e all have at least three things in common: • we love Alaska,
• we each served as commissioner of the Alaska Department of Natural Resources, • and we each back Click Bishop for Senate District R. We’ve worked with Click either as colleagues or as commissioners. We worked with him to help set up apprenticeship programs for industry — for mining, forestry, and oil and gas. Click was a key part of a team that put together an award-winning gasline training plan that won national acclaim. As a state senator, Click supported our agency budgets and played a pivotal role in mustering resources to catch up with a backlog of state permits needed for development, to move Alaska forward. Click listens to Alaskans to understand their concerns. He values and weighs what they say. Their opinions mean much to him and inform how he makes decisions. We back Click for Senate District R. And urge you to support him too.
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FACES, CONTINUED from PAGE 16
“I was going upstream and had seen lots of bears but ev- ery time they took off. Then this one bear was fishing, and I had lots of fun watching him. Then he saw me and started walking toward me. Every step I took backward he took one forward. I jumped up on a big snag washed down in the creek and he came at me. I tried to hit on the nose with my salmon snagging stick, but he swatted it away. “I had not had a chance to pull out the revolver, and he came again, and he hit me across legs. I went up in air but was able to pull the revolver. Now he was probably a foot from me. I fired and hit him in the head, but the bullet ric - ocheted off his skull. “And right then I couldn’t help but laugh! Here’s this bear with a huge ring of smoke around his head. I cocked it again, but he just turned and took off!” Another time on a foggy day, he heard a caught a group of fishermen about to net a stream. They fled when he ap - proached, so he followed in the fog in his small boat. “I could hear whales in distance sounding. Sitting there in the fog, it was an eerie situation. All of a sudden, the water next to the boat exploded and a whale came up for air. All I could see was straight into his eyeball. I always wondered what he thought but luckily, he wasn’t upset!” “Experiences like that leave everlasting impressions.” Roger switched his college major to wildlife manage- ment and graduated from Cornell with that and a minor in geology. Roger had served in the Naval Reserve at 17, wanting to be a pilot but was color blind. After college, he received a commission in the U.S. Army Artillery and served on active duty from 1957 to 1959. “I got a commission and went to Army Ranger School. I really enjoyed the service but came straight back to Alaska as soon as I got out in 1959.” As now a captain in the Alaska National Guard, he was the first commander of the new National Guard Armory in Fairbanks. After his military service, he worked in banking for 14
Photo Courtesy Roger Burggraf
In the late 1970s, Roger with a pan full of the huge gold nuggets for which Nolan Creek is famous.
years and enjoyed the banking business until entering the mining industry in 1972. Roger had had a love of sled dogs going back to college and now had the place and time to develop that into a full- time hobby. He purchased an Army sled dog pup from Carl Heinmiller of Haines, Alaska. That pup later lost his left leg after being hit by a car and forever more was known as “Tripod.” “Tripod used to follow me to class at Cornell. When I went into the service, I left him with my fraternity. He be- came a famous dog on campus, after during the big rivalry game with Syracuse, he ran the full length of the field and disrupted the kickoff!” Fairbanks has been home to Roger since 1959. “I’ve had a lot of good years here. I drove dogs for years, of con-versation, and emotions were high, and you had the unenviable task of corralling the normal independent lot of the miner into a single voice that could influence the changes coming and their impact on the industry. “How you managed to lead the placer sector through s0uch turbulent times and still manage to run your busi - ness and earn a livelihood amazes me even now. Part of this was perseverance, a lot of sheer courage, but I never saw you without a positive attitude and a vision which was looking to the future, and not dwelling on the past. Roger, you have been a role model and inspiration of leadership for me ever since. “Seeing a recent picture of you in the rain, cheerful - ly discussing gold nuggets…reminds me that a cheerful positive attitude, while being realistic, also keeps you young. You look great!
Letter from Tom Albanese, former president of Rio Tinto, one of the world’s largest mining companies
Roger, "I have known you since the 1970s when I first joined the mining industry as an undergraduate at the School of Mines. In meeting with the Alaska Miners Association, you were always the first to speak up ad the one in the room with t he considered opinion which usually let a way forward. In the 1980s when I was more active in AMA, I remember seeing you on a regular basis in the Nerco of - fice building. At the time, the placer mining industry was going t through an incredibly tough time with the EPA and U.S. Federal regulators. As president of the Fairbanks chapter, you were in a very difficult position with changing environmental laws and norms on one side, and aggres - sive placer miners on the other side who wanted no part of these changes. Alaskan secession was a regular topic
“With warm regards, Tom”
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made quite a few big expeditions. I had big malamutes, freight dogs, so we did lots of cross-country stuff. I worked as a VIP helping the park service train its dogs for freighting. It was a lot of fun. I always had Alaska malamutes. I stuck with purebreds and showed them too.” It was another family friend who whetted his appetite for mining in 1945. His stepfather often brough home military veterans, as commander of the local American Legion Post, and one was a former member of the fa- mous Black Sheep Squadron from the Pacific War, a medal of honor winner. “He was a geologist, working in South America, and he came back with a mineral set, which got my curiosi- ty up. I’d done a little prospecting in Southeast Alaska and always had that interest in mining and minerals. So, it whetted my whistle.” It was the wild people of Alaska as much as the wildlife that he came to love. He befriended a homesteader in Icy Strait who sparked his interest in mining. “Joe Ibach had been a fox farm- er, guide, entertained famous people who wanted to come and hunt. He was also interested in mining. He’d built his fireplace with gold and copper ore which he’d mined.” He had also befriended another older timer who died, leaving a poke of gold. “He gave me a nugget that I kept until I gave it to girl from college that I married.” “I worked on the pipeline, was a la- borer, had a lot of crazy experiences. They were a rough and tumble group but since I’d left home, I’d been able to take care of myself. Roger worked the pipeline, made good money, and bought the old Grant Mine, on Esther Dome near Fairbanks. He has been working that property for close to 48 years. He enjoyed hardrock underground mining and worked for Silverado Gold Mine at Nolan Creek. “We had some good years and some tough years.” Nolan Creek is legendary for the large gold nuggets it has produced. “We did quite well, but of course when we did well, the price of gold dropped to $260 an ounce. We had some of the finest placer gold in Alaska but no market at that time.” The largest nugget Silverado mined was 43.75 ounces, and many others of 18 to 20 ounces. For decades, he has served Alaska,
advising, and advocating for resource development efforts and organiza - tions. “While I was mining and develop- ing the mine, I became active in the Miners Association. I was the state - wide president back in 1983-1984 and am a director emeritus. “I got involved in different organi - zations and advisory groups, because I’ve always be interested in people and politics.” His banking background also proved invaluable on boards where fi - nancial expertise was often lacking. He is an Alaska pioneer and also remains
active in Fairbanks civic events and the Greater Fairbanks Chamber of Com- merce. In 2014, the Alaska Chamber of Commerce named him the William Egan Outstanding Alaskan of the Year, in recognition of his many years ad- vocating for resource development and education. “I had no inkling,” he said at the time. “I still am sort of shocked. I’ve just sort of done things as they’ve come along. “It’s been a good life.”
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Southeast Alaska’s metals mines performing well
Two producing metals mines in Southeast Alaska are performing well, the mine owners and operators re- ported to financial analysts in August. The Greens Creek Mine, on Admi - ralty Island west of Juneau, is one of the largest and lowest-cost primary silver mines in the world and is the cash generating engine of the compa- ny, Hecla said a statement. Hecla Greens Creek Mine, a sub - sidiary of Idaho-based Hecla Mining Co., reported gross profits of $32.7 million in the year’s second quarter, down somewhat from $36.4 million in the first quarter. “The decline in cash flow from operations was primarily due to low- er metals prices and increased costs due to inflation,” the company told analysts in its briefing on the second quarter.
Ore grades were slightly better in the second quarter, Hecla said, lead- ing to higher metals recovery despite a small drop in ore produced and processed. Greens Creek produced 2.4 million ounces of silver, about the same first quarter, but zinc, gold and lead production was higher. The company spent $14.7 million in capital projects during the quarter. In 2021, Greens Creek produced 9.2 million ounces of silver at an all- in sustaining Cost, after by-product credits, per silver ounce of $3.19), and 48,088 ounces of gold. Production in 2022 is expected to be 8.6 million to 8.9 million ounces of silver. Greens Creek spends roughly $75 million annually on goods and services statewide and $58.4 million with Juneau-area businesses. The mine pays approximately Remote Locations Mineral Exploration Grade Control Monitoring and Piezometer wells Dewatering Wells Geotechnical
$70 million in annual payroll in the Juneau area and $2.6 million in prop- erty and sales taxes to the City and Borough of Juneau. Greens Creek mine employees average $122.800 per year in salary and wages, the compa- ny reported. At the Kensington Mine on Berners Bay north of Juneau gold production increased 23 percent to 27,866 ounces in the second quarter compared with 22,646 ounces in the first quarter. “Higher production during the peri- od was driven by an increase in mill throughput to a quarterly record high due to increased efficiencies at the mill as higher average gold grades,” in ore produced, Coeur Mining Inc., the mine owner and operator, told analysts in its second quarter briefing.
— Tim Bradner
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EPA delays decision on Pebble veto to December
Citing a large number of public comments, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has given itself more time, until Dec. 2, to make a fi - nal decision on a controversial plan to close off large areas of state lands in the Bristol Bay region to large mine development. In a Federal Register Notice, EPA said it received more than 35,000 comments on the plan by Aug. 24 and expects the number to grow as com- ments received just before a Sept. 6 deadline are included. The plan is ba- sically aimed at foreclosing any plan for the proposed large Pebble copper/ gold/molybdenum project near Il- iamna, southwest of Anchorage. The agency’s normal procedure would be to decide within 30 days of the close of public comments, or by Oct. 6. Meanwhile, Pebble’s developer. Pebble Partnership Ltd., or PPL, a
subsidiary of Northern Dynasty Min - erals, submitted its comments with a blistering criticism of EPA’s pro- posal. PPL also recently announced that it had secured $60 million in new financing though advance sales of gold and silver from the project to a buyer. “The EPA (proposed) action … flies in the face of decades of reg - ulatory precedent for fair and due process for development projects,” said John Shively, CEO of the com- pany said in its comments. “EPA’s actions are politically motivated … (the agency) has made wildly specu- lative claims about possible adverse impacts from Pebble’s development that are not supported by any defen- sible data and are in direct contra- diction with the facts demonstrated in the U.S. Army Corp of Engineer’s Final Environmental Impact State- ment (FEIS) for the Pebble Project,”
Shively said. “The FEIS clearly states that Peb- ble can be developed without harm to the Bristol Bay fishery … Regulations and court precedent specify EPA must establish that development will have demonstrable adverse impacts before it can initiate a veto, and the EPA did not do this.” Shively said. “Congress did not give the EPA broad authority to act as it has in the Pebble case, using a provision in Sec- tion 404 of the federal Clean Water Act to veto a U.S. Army Corps of Engi- neers permit. The Section 404, “veto was intended to be narrowly defined and for specific areas. In this case, the EPA has preemptively vetoed 309 square miles (nearly 200,000 acres) of state of Alaska land, an area 66 times larger than any previous 404 veto,” Shively said.
— Tim Bradner
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Senate coalition, evenly split House again in the cards?
enough to go either way. Under ranked-choice voting the top four on the ballot, regardless of partisan affiliation, are listed on the November ballot. In all but one race, in a Fairbanks House district, there were four or fewer candidates, so voters will see the names again. In Fairbanks’ House District 35, the one race with five running, Kieran Brown was eliminated after placing fifth. Because of this, the primary was
really a kind of poll, and since few voters change their preferences in the two months-plus between Aug. 16 and Nov. 3, the likely November winners can be spotted, particular- ly if there is a big spread between the top vote-getter (usually an in- cumbent legislator) and the closest competitor. But November will be ranked- choice voting, where voters will indicate second, third and fourth choices, if there are that many on the ballot. Incumbents generally did well in both House and Senate races, but one notable exception is in the Mat-Su, where Republican Sen. Mike Shower trailed challenger Doug Massie, also Republican, in the primary. In Anchorage, Sen. Mia Costello, Republican, trailed her opponent, Matt Claman, a Democrat now in the House. Rep. Andy Josephson is in a tight race for reelection, trail- ing Republican Kathy Henslee by one vote in the primary. Reallocation of ranked-choice votes will decide these contests. Inevitably there will be a lot of new faces in Juneau. Several legis- lative veterans, like Democrats Rep. Chris Tuck and Ivy Spohnholz, are not running. Several House mem- bers are seeking Senate seats, like Reps. Kelly Merrick, Republican, of Eagle River, and Rep. Matt Claman, Democrat of Anchorage. One race to watch is the south Anchorage where incumbent Sen. Roger Holland faces a strong chal- lenge from Cathy Giessel, a former senator. Democrat Roselynn Cacy, also in that race, did surprising- ly well considering that the district leans Republican. Under ranked- choice all three appear again on the November ballot and this is one race where reallocated second and third choices may have an impact. It is too early to guess final out - comes with any accuracy but at this point it appears that the 40-mem- ber House may have 17 Republicans and nine Democrats, with five inde - pendents or nonpartisan legislators
Ranked-choice voting does not seem likely to change Senate, House division The Alaska Aug. 16 primary elec- tion gave a pretty clear indication as to who the ultimate winners in No- vember for many state House and Senate seats are likely to be, but a number of House races are close
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likely to be elected. The remaining races are close and could go either way. It is possible a clear Republi- can majority will happen, but a co- alition of moderate Republicans and Democrats is also possible. In the Senate, 11 Republicans and nine Democrats are likely to be in Juneau, but here a coalition is now considered more likely than in the House. Several veteran Republican senators sure to return, like Sen- ators Bert Stedman of Sitka, Gary Stevens of Kodiak, and Click Bishop of Fairbanks, have strong disagree- ments with conservative Republican senators, led mainly by the Mat-Su delegation, on issues like the Per- manent Fund Dividend. While the November outcomes of many state House races cannot be predicted, it is possible that another even split in the 40-member House is possible. If the recent past is any indication nonaligned incumbents like Bryce Edgmon of Dillingham and Daniel Ortiz of Juneau, who are sure to be reelected, are likely to organize with Democrats along with several other independents, five in total. At least
CLICK BISHOP
BERT STEDMAN GARY STEVENS
one Republican, Rep. Louise Stutes of Kodiak, the current House Speak- er, is unlikely to join Republicans. Who organizes the House and Senate is important because it de- termines who the leaders and com- mittee chairs will be, which sets the stage for which bills advance. How- ever, the uncertainty of a near-even split could again lead to prolonged delay in organizing the House, which will slow legislative business. It will take 21 votes in a House Majority for any legislative business to be done, even the election of a
House Speaker. However, it will re- ally take 22 or a few more to ensure a stable Majority so that important bills, like the budget, can pass. The likelihood of any Democrats or even independents joining con- servative Republicans appears dim, so a functioning House will need a handful of Republicans crossing the aisle. That has happened in the re- cent past but whether it will happen again this year is a big unknown.
— Tim Bradner
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Welcome to this year's AMA Convention!
We will offer three excellent short courses Monday, Nov. 7. Short Course #1 Critical and Strategic Minerals in Alaska, Short Course #2 Mineral Tenure in Alaska and Short Course #3 Overview of the Mining Industry and How to Talk About it. There is limited space for these courses so sign up early at AlaskaMiners. org/convention. During the convention Nov. 8-10 we are offering dual tracks of technical session presentations highlighting exploration projects, mine operations, updates from agencies on new and revised regulations and requirements, engineering Alaska's mines, policy-focused sessions, and many more technical presentations. A session will highlight projects and opportunities on ANSCA lands. We also have keynote speakers at all our luncheons that you will enjoy, as well as a wealth of vendors and sponsors to network within the trade show during coffee breaks. There are a few remaining booth spaces and sponsorship opportunities available to showcase your company before the industry. This is a great way to give your company and products maximum exposure in front of the “who’s who” of mining in Alaska. Email Jennifer Luiten at jennifer@alaskaminers.org. Thank you to all our sponsors! Underwriting this event ensures it will be successful, and your sponsorship dollars also help sustain AMA and its efforts year- round to promote a vibrant mining industry for Alaska. This year Mining Hall of Fame inductions will be Wednesday, Nov. 9, 7-9 p.m. at the Downtown Marriott Hotel. And the AMA Board of Directors meeting is on Wednesday, Nov. 9 at 5 p.m. The Core Shack provides a showcase for participants of
Members and Friends of the Alaska Miners Association: It’s time for another great convention! I want to welcome you and your company to the 2022 Alaska Miners Association Annual Convention and Trade Show, Nov. 7-10 at the Dena’ina Center in Anchorage. You’ll find valuable information about this year’s convention in the following pages of the Alaska Miner Magazine. You know what makes this a great event — more than 1,000 attendees from all sectors of our industry, many great networking events, the largest mining trade show in the state, representatives from all operating mines and potential mining development projects in Alaska, educational short courses and technical sessions, and so much
more. New this year are events for young professionals. They are the future of Alaska Mining. After a pandemic hiatus we are thrilled to gather in-person this year. Our AMA Convention Committee has worked very hard this year to bring you a sensational lineup featuring the theme that reflects our legacy and our future: “Alaska Mining: Rock On!”
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