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.
Winter 2022 Volume 50, Number 1 AlaskaMiners.org
What’s new in 2022? Alaska mining remains essential
INSIDE THIS ISSUE n 2022 Legislature: Budget Pandemic n UAF Mining School Perseveres n Meet Our 2022 Board n Alaska Delegation Strong at AEMA
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Executive Director’s Report
Dear AMA Members and Friends,
I’d be willing to bet that my mood was in great company when I cheered “Happy New Year!” at 12 a.m. on January 1, 2022. There are few things that inspire me to stay up that late, but I was really ready to close out 2021. It wasn’t because I looked back at 2021 with negativ - ity. It’s actually the opposite. Instead, as 2021 grew to a close I began to feel the vibe of, we’re done with this. We are not captive to a pandemic that will not see itself out. Perhaps I’ll fall short of adequately explaining, but in the latter months of 2021, I began to perceive that the world, regardless of philosophy and polit- ical belief, is simply ready to find a way to function again. The multiple events that took place this past year, which felt like a repeat of 2020, could have been discouraging. At first, many of them were. Honestly, canceling a second Annual Convention was a punch to the gut. Yet, instead of sitting stationary in a funk, our industry applauded our heartbreaking decision, and we all came together to discuss a long-term plan for AMA members to gather and succeed successfully. Time is going to tell how we can do it both safely, and in a way that benefits us. But in the meantime, we heard you tell us you wanted AMA to find the support to ensure the mission was being met at a time our Association was more critical than ever. So, we unveiled the Durability Project. Since its launch, we’ve seen miners step up to close the gap left behind by canceled fundraisers, and it is beyond humbling. And while we cannot thank these people from podiums and you cannot visit booths to learn about these companies, it is my sincere hope that you will make it a priority to know about the people and individuals who are now funding everything that we do, every single day. They are featured in this issue of the Alaska Miner, they are on our website, and they are be- ing profiled on our social media feeds. You’ll hear from some of them at upcoming branch meetings, and anywhere else we get the opportunity to remind what is now in our email signatures: This commu- nication and all AMA efforts are brought to you by
private contributions by AMA members and Durabil- ity Project sponsors. Without their support, AMA’s advocacy would not be possible. The real reason I’m excited for 2022 is because there is just so much we can do, and I feel like we’re all ready to do it, even if we have to find different ways to make a difference. I can assure you that the board members you’ll read about starting on page 23 feel the same. I am so excited to be working for this group. Our Statewide Officers are led by our President Bartly Kleven, who, I may have found myself re- cently wishing I was assigned to a corner in her office to just observe her at work. Her first column about permitting tips gives a glimpse into the ex- pertise and energy Bartly is bringing to AMA. The Directors with her across our statewide branches are brilliant, enthusiastic, and — compet- ing for best virtue — are fun and they are generous with their time. With this team, how can we not get excited? Happy New Year, indeed! All year long. Thank you for being the reason why.
Deantha Skibinski AMA Executive Director
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
2 Executive
Director’s Report
4 Letter from
Our President 10 UAF Mining School Evolving 14 What to Expect From Legislature 16 Faces of Mining: Jan Hill 20 Coeur Donates $300K to UAS 22 Meet Your New AMA Board 34 Alaska Center Stage at AEMA 46 Mining Business and Service Directory
ON THE COVER: Kinross Alaska celebrated the first pour of gold
from the new Gil Mine last fall. Gil is a satellite of Fort Knox and ore will be trucked to the Fort Knox for processing, reflecting another mining success story Photo courtesy Kinross Alaska THIS PAGE: Jayden Duny from Marshall, Alaska is a mechanic working for Donlin Gold, here at the summer drill camp of the Donlin Project in 2021. NovaGold and Barrick are developing the Donlin project, which could create hundreds of high paying jobs in Southwest Alaska. Photo courtesy NovaGold
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
Spring 2022 Project Updates Summer 2022 People in Mining
Executive Director
Deantha Skibinski Jennifer Luiten Darlene Strickland
Membership and Fundraising Director
Fall 2022 Annual Anchorage Convention Winter 2022 Legislative and Season Preview
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
Exciting projects are on the way in 2022
“What we do is not easy; it takes intellect, grit, perseverance, and the willingness and ability to work incredibly hard to achieve production. These are traits that are found in miners from small placers to large corporations.” H appy New Year to my fellow Alaska Miners! Here is wishing each and every one of you a safe, productive and profitable 2022. I am support mining used
d. Methods of mining and reclamation to be
honored to be serving as AMA President. The two most important things you should know about me: I love our industry and I love producers! What we do is not easy; it takes intellect, grit, perseverance, and the willingness and ability to work incredibly hard to achieve production. These are traits that are found in miners from small placers to large corporations, and the folks who offer services to support our efforts. Congratulations to one and all and a big Thank You — we need more of you! I’ll get straight to the point — prices are up and there are a lot of exciting projects happening in Alaska ranging from exploration to full development. However, there is one thing that all these projects require — permits! Now is the time to be submitting those applications to avoid the dreaded Spring Crush! To that end, here are my Top Five Permitting Tips: 1. Schedule an appointment with your permit writers and any consultants or contractors you are using to review and develop the project, respectively. An introduction to the proposed project is greatly appreciated by team members. It also fosters a working partnership within the team whether they are agency representatives or consultants and contractors. The following is recommended for the project’s introduction: a. Location (see No. 2) b. Streams, lakes or other wetlands or other water in the area c. Baseline data in hand or to be collected to
e. Timing — scheduled application submittal
date, proposed date to start mining and project duration and milestones.
f. Schedule out a couple of one-hour meetings
to brief the regulatory team on progress.
2. Orient permit writers to your project: a. For larger projects try to get as many of the folks who will be actually writing the permits to your site. This is not a dog and pony show for the higher- ups (although they are always invited) – this is for the folks in the trenches that will be writing your permit conditions. b. For smaller projects or if you can’t easily get folks to your site — drone footage and/or aerial maps are imperative. 3. Gather enough baseline data to submit a complete application. a. If you even think you will need an air emissions permit for this proposed project iget the meteorological station set up as a first step. Lack of having this data in hand for permitting has delayed many projects. b. Next, get your wetlands delineation going or planned early for the next field season. This delineation should help guide and direct your project design. c. Start collecting surface water data ASAP. Figure out where your groundwater wells should be
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going and get those in as well. Make sure you are following EPA methods for your collection. d. Be mindful of seasonal constraints on fieldwork for wetlands, archeology, surface water, fish studies, bird studies and wildlife surveys 4. Develop the mine plan in concert with the baseline data results. a. Schedule a meeting on submittal day with the team to walk them through the application. A lot of delay can be avoided by following a set plan. It gives those reviewing and writing those permits a schedule to work from as well. It also allows you the best chance of having your permits in hand by the time you need them so you can start producing. 2021 did not relent and neither did we. Let’s see what incredible things we will do in 2022! 5. Submit by the scheduled date.
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The Alaska Miner
Photos Courtesy Kinross Alaska Jeremy Brans, Vice-President and General Manager, Kinross Alaska, with the first ounces of gold poured from the Gil mine.
Kinross Alaska celebrates Gil-Sourdough milestone
13 kilometers from Fort Knox, with Gil ore processed at the Kinross mill. Leadership from Kinross Alaska, as well as Gil project leaders and employ- ees who played a key role in the de- velopment of the project, attended the first pour to see their hard work come to life. “Mining the Gil deposit has been a long-time goal for Kinross. Seeing the first ore go into the mill is a very sat - isfying achievement for the Gil team,” said Clint Connelly, Project Superin - tendent, Fort Knox. “We look forward to maintaining safe production over the next few years at Gil.”
Project leaders mark first gold pour with optimism for future Kinross Alaska celebrated a signif- icant milestone in November with its first gold pour from the Gil-Sourdough mine. The Gil mine had its official ground - breaking ceremony in September and expects to add 80 to 100 jobs in Alas - ka and produce approximately 160,000 ounces of gold over a two-year mine life. The satellite deposits are located
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Kuhns selected for honors as Native American 40 Under 40
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conservation, technology and more. “Tisha is committed to responsi-
ciation Board. Calista also celebrates the recog - nition of Shareholder Andrea Akall’eq Burgess, from Quinhagak, who also received an NCAIED 40 Under 40 award this year. Burgess is the Global Di- rector of Conservation in Partnership with Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities for The Nature Conser - vancy. Kuhns and Burgess are two of only four young Alaska Native young leaders — all women — selected for the NCAIED award this year. Calista Corporation has over 34,500 Shareholders and is the parent com- pany of more than 30 subsidiaries in defense contracting, construction, real estate, environmental services, natural resource development, marine trans- portation, oilfield services, and heavy equipment sales, service and rentals. Since 1994, Calista has provided more than $5.5 million in scholarships to its shareholders and descendants.
ble development and protection of our lands for current and future generations of Calis - ta Shareholders. She is a strong advocate for Alaska Native self-de - termination and works vigorously and regu- larly to ensure state and federal leaders follow their obligation to consult with Native corporations and our Tribes when they make decisions involving our lands,” said Andrew
has been selected as a 2021 Native American 40 Under 40 award re- cipient by the Nation - al Center for American Indian Enterprise De- velopment (NCAIED). Every year, the NCAIED inducts 40 American Indian, Alas- ka Native and Native Hawaiian leaders under the age of 40 for their leadership, initiative, dedication, and for
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January 2021
The Alaska Miner
Photos Courtesy JR Ancheta/UAF
UAF students visit the Silver Fox Mine in October 2017.
UAF mining school looks to boost Delta center use
fall, so, even weeks later, her mem- ories of the University of Alaska Fairbanks’ mine training center re- mained vivid. “It’s over-the-top reinforced because they want to have every- body get the experience of putting in bolts and the support system for the rock,” the UAF student recalled. “Every square inch is covered by some kind of bolt or other piece of metal.”
Brokaw, a sophomore in UAF’s mining engineering program, and three other students had spent a day in September at the facility near Delta Junction. “I’d never been underground, so I was very excited,” she said in late October. That’s how UAF educators want students such as Brokaw to feel about the center and the training available there.
Students continue to earn valuable skills in training BY SAM BISHOP SPECIAL TO THE ALASKA MINER Shelby Brokaw had never visit- ed an underground mine before this
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UAF expects to incorporate more trips to the Delta center into the mining engineering curriculum in coming years. The idea is to sustain the kinds of experiences and train- ing previously available at the Sil- ver Fox Mine, which UAF students maintained for decades before its closure this year.
***
“We have labs, but labs don’t substitute for a real mine,” said Tathagata Ghosh, chair of the De- partment of Mining and Mineral En- gineering in UAF’s College of Engi - neering and Mines. “We can’t do mining without real hands-on training.” That applies whether the topic is surveying, ventilation, rock me- chanics or explosives. “We can’t use explosives inside the engineering building,” he joked. “They can do everything,” at the Delta center, Ghosh said. “I’m not sure if there is any comparable fa- cility in the U.S.” Bill Bieber believes that’s true of not just the U.S. but the world.
GHOSH
BROKAW
BOWLING
“There’s no other facility like this,” said Bieber, director of UAF’s Soldotna-based Mining and Petro- leum Training Service, which oper- ates the MAPTS Mine Training Cen - ter. The center sits just east of the Alaska Highway’s bridge over the Gerstle River, 30 miles southeast of Delta Junction. There, MAPTS offers mine worker training sessions year-round. En- rollees spend two weeks at the site, take a two-week break and come back for a final two weeks. MAPTS, which is now a branch of UAF’s Cooperative Extension Service,
began operating the facility in 2014. It took over from the nonprofit or - ganization that had opened it about 15 years earlier. “The facility wasn’t anything like it is now,” Beiber said. “We added equipment, we completely rebuilt equipment that was there, and we completely rehabbed all the under- ground and surface stuff.” MAPTS also built a kitchen and dining facility and brought in a 30-person bunkhouse. “And we have a $1 million simu - lator as well,” Bieber added. CONTINUED on PAGE 12
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UAF, CONTINUED from PAGE 11
***
The simulator, which offers training on multiple types of equip- ment, caught Brokaw’s attention during her tour in September with other UAF students. “The instructor can control what the environment looks like — if there are other vehicles around to interact with and if there’s an equipment failure,” she said. “The chair even moves.” Joren Bowling, another mining engineering student who holds the title of UAF student mine manag- er, first visited the Delta center in 2020. The experience helped draw him into the mining engineering pro- gram. He had started at UAF in mechanical engineering. His room - mate, a geology student, took a mine safety class that involved a trip to the center. “He was just taking it for fun,” Bowling said. “He was raving to me about it.” Bowling took the class and got hooked himself. “We both signed up for mining,” Bowling said. He’s looking forward to return - ing to Delta as part of his academic program during the next few years. “Our surveying class has at least one whole week dedicated to under- ground surveying,” he said. As a venue for such work, the basement of UAF’s Duckering Build- ing is no match for an underground mine — even if it “certainly is as confusing as one,” he joked. *** Bieber, Ghosh and others are still working on how to incorporate such classwork into the training center’s schedule. “It’s kind of a collaborative part- nership,” Bieber said. “If we need certain things, like surveying, for example, something like that, it’s all part of working together.” Ghosh envisions the center as a way for UAF engineering students, for starters, to obtain their safety certifications, which are required for anyone working in a mine. “But we need the mine for a host of other issues as well — surveys, blasting, ventilation, rock mechan-
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Photo Courtesy MAPTS
ics, equipment simulation,” he said. The Silver Fox Mine, donated to UAF in 1977 by Tury Anderson, pro - vided hands-on training in many of those topics for generations of mining students. The former sil- ver mine is located a few miles up the Elliott Highway from Fairbanks. UAF hopes to lease out the property for some other purpose. “The benefit we had with Silver Fox was it was a student-run mine and close to Fairbanks,” Ghosh said. “We had mining companies regularly donate equipment to us. Graduates would come down and train the students for free. It was a source of industry engagement.” But the mine had challenges as well, such as burglaries and thefts, he said. Insurance added to costs. Operating two training mines ap- peared duplicative. The Delta center should do all that Silver Fox did, and more. Stu- dents Brokaw and Bowling both said they’re looking forward to visiting again as they continue their aca- demic studies at UAF. “I think having access to actual mine environment is really, really valuable for — pick a class,” Bowl - ing said. Sam Bishop is a writer and editor for UAF University Relations. A lifelong resident of Alaska, he previously spent almost three decades as a newspaper reporter and editor. The Mining and Petroleum Training Service offers mine worker training sessions year-round.
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Outlook on Legislature: Gridlock likely continues
BY TIM BRADNER SPECIAL TO THE ALASKA MINER Is there any hope of breaking the gridlock that has paralyzed Alaska’s Legislature? Near-term prospects for it don’t look good. Legislators are now back in Juneau for the 2022 session of the Legislature, and the partisan splits that rankled the 2021 session are still there. 2021 saw a four-month regular session and two 30-day special ses- sions as well as a near-government shutdown in late June when lawmak- ers couldn’t agree on a state budget (they finally did). Like in Congress, there are deep partisan divisions in Alaska’s Legisla- ture. But the argument in our state is mainly over the size of the annual Per-
manent Fund Dividend, or PFD, a check sent to all Alaskans paid by earnings of the state’s $80-billion-plus Perma- nent Fund. Here’s why this is important. Be - cause the Legislature gets locked up fighting over the PFD, usually near the end of the session, not much else gets done. Important bills on education, public safety and natural resources in- cluding oil and gas regulatory reforms, get sidetracked because legislators’ attention is diverted to the dividend squabble. There’s a lot connected to the PFD argument, of course. First is whether there should be a revised formula that sets the dividend each year (a current formula is consid- ered unworkable), and whether citi - zens should pay state taxes to help pay for a higher PFD if there is one, and to
help support traditional public services like state troopers, schools, or wild- life management if the larger dividend cuts into ordinary revenues at support those. Gov. Mike Dunleavy has proposed a one-time extra draw on Permanent Fund earnings, beyond what the Fund now provides for state budget support, but this got a strong pushback from legislators. There is also the question of state taxes, and whether Alaskans should pay any. “Most people don’t realize that Alaska is the only state where there are no state taxes paid by citizens,” although people do pay local proper- ty and sales taxes, said House Speaker Louise Stutes, R-Kodiak, in a talk to a business group in December. Senate President Peter Micciche,
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R-Kenai, said senators have a wide range of opinions on the fiscal issue. “Some favor the extra “bridge” draw on the Fund earnings, some want broad-based taxes (like a sales or income tax) and some just like the status-quo, with an annual battle over the dividend,” the senator said. Last summer, with the near shut- down of the state looming, the Legis- lature formed a bipartisan task force to develop a comprehensive fiscal plan that would settle the annual fights. A committee that included legisla- tors from all the warring factions held extensive work sessions over a month between the two special sessions and to the surprise of many produced, if not a final plan, the outline of one that all in the working group agreed on. Basic elements of the plan includ- ed a new PFD formula, a need for new revenues to pay for higher dividends, and a spending cap so new revenues wouldn’t be seen as permission to just grow the budget. But when the full Legislature came back for a second, and final, special session, nothing happened. There has been a lot of finger-point - ing as to why that happened. One rea- son cited for not doing more work on the fiscal plan was the near certainty that Gov. Mike Dunleavy, who faces reelection in 2022, would veto any tax bills passed by the Legislature. Why waste time, legislative leaders asked, thrashing though the details of a fiscal plan, even when the outline was agreed, if the governor would veto a key part of the plan, on new reve- nues? Possibly a deeper reason for the continued logjam was that many leg- islators didn’t want to hand the gov- ernor a victory, in the form of a high- er PFD, on the cusp of his reelection campaign. All those divisions are back in 2022. Speaker Stutes said she believes the fiscal discussion will continue this session on at least the components of the outline in the fiscal working group product from last summer. Most legislators, however, doubt a final plan can be agreed on. That’s be - cause it’s not only an election year but the added complication of the redis- tricting that followed the 2020 census. It appears now that 58 of the 60 House and Senate members will have to stand for reelection because the boundar- ies of several senate districts have changed enough to require the incum- bent senator to have to run again.
If this happens (the redistricting plan is still in court) it will add un - certainties to those already there for the session. Normally only half of the 20-member senate is up for reelec- tion in a biannual election cycle, which means that 10 senators don’t have to run and campaign. This adds an ele- ment of stability in a normal year that may not be present in 2022. Also, many House members are “freshmen” facing their first reelec - tion, or “sophomores” with only one reelection under their belt. Those leg- islators will be even more nervous
this year about taking on things like the PFD that might rile some of their constituents. There is one issue this year that will likely cut through legislators’ nervousness about doing anything substantial. That is the hundreds of millions of dollars coming to Alaska in the federal infrastructure bill. The governor will play a key co- ordinating role in managing much of this infusion of funds, but the Legis- lature will be involved because it must approve the spending as a part of the state budget.
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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 Jan Hill, the newest member of the Haines branch of AMA’s board of directors. Faces of Mining
Jan Hill A lifetime of service
BY LEE LESCHPER If you looked up “service” in an Alaska dictionary, you might find Jan Hill’s picture. Jan Hill is the newest member of the Haines branch of AMA’s board of directors. A lifelong resident of Haines, she’s a past mayor of the Southeast Alaska community and a self-described “community servant” who advocates pas - sionately for resource development of all kinds to benefit Southeast Alaska in general, and Haines, in particular. She’s a past board member of the Southeast Confer - ence and a current member of the Alcohol Beverage Control Board and the Southeast Alaska Regional Health Consor - tium Board of Directors. Hill served four terms as mayor of Haines, and prior to that, served on the Haines Borough Assembly, as well as the president of the Chilkoot Indian Association tribe. She laughs at questions about her diverse resume. “Yes, I wear a lot of hats. Mother raised us to be busy and involved and in service. My profession? Call me a public servant. I love being involved. “I’ve lived in Haines all my life. My family’s been here for generations. I was born in Skagway because there was no doctor in Haines but there was a hospital in Skagway. “Haines has always been my home. I went off to college but kept coming back.” She took a break after a couple of years, came back to Haines and worked as a teachers’ aide in the public schools, before finishing her degree in preschool education. “I came back and instead of teaching, wrote the curricu- lum for and brought Head Start to Haines. I was the teacher
director for seven years. I’m very proud of that … kids that were my Head Start kids now have kids and maybe even grandkids in Head Start.” Her experience and life - long support for mining is what’s good for her commu- nity. “The only time I would
say I worked in industry was up in the Porcupine region here. My husband was working in a small commercial mine operation, and I was the camp cook for five months!” She gives her parents and grandparents credit for her dedication to service. “We were raised in a very different time. I also had the advantage of being raised in the small town of Haines. It’s kind of hokie, but it does take a village to raise a child. And I’m proud to be raised by this village!” “We were raised to work. We always had chores and earned an allowance when our chores were done.” She reflects fondly on that simpler time. “We picked out our (two a year) dresses from the Sears catalog. At some point I decided I wanted more than that, so my Dad said it must be time to get a job! I started babysit - ting and working every little job in Haines.” Her great-grandparents came to Haines in 1898 for the then gold rush. They homesteaded on land Jan still owns. Jan doesn’t separate her support for mining from her belief in all responsible resource development. “I grew up with parents who always worked somehow in resource development. Dad was a commercial fisherman and worked as a longshoreman in the logging industry.” Alaska is changing in large part because of new chal- lenges and new residents, she said. “Haines has changed a great deal, and not the little changes you’d expect like paved streets. There’s still no stoplight. “But different people have moved here with different ideas and philosophies. We’d have these discussions when I was mayor. Haines is like a big family to me. We might fight among ourselves, but God help somebody who picks on us! “And if anybody needs help, the whole community pitches in. For example, my husband got cancer and we ended up without insurance. It was a big deal and we spent six months in hospitals in Seattle. The community had a fundraiser at the legion hall, and they raised over $20,000 for us. And it happens all the time here.” Her outlook on a changing Alaska and the need to edu - cate newcomers is clear and straightforward. “With the changes that got to the way society is, that we can’t be as self-sufficient as we used to be. People have
CONTINUED on PAGE 18
Jan with Southeast legislators Bill Egan and Bill Thomas.
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Photos Courtesy Jan Hill (Above) Sen. Lisa Murkowski in Excursion Inlet with then Haines Borough Mayor Jan Hill and Ocean Beauty Excursion Inlet Plant Manager Tom Marshall in 2018. (Below) Jan’s passion is Native dancing including her role as drummer of the Chilkat Dancers.
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now sitting in my chair, I see the same in my life. “But if we continue to work hard to educate people and demonstrate that these resource extraction things can be done responsibly, we are going to open the eyes of people, because nobody has taken time to explain it to them.” Things as simple as the activities the Haines AMA chapter does, and be - ing visible at events and fairs and job fairs, all help, she said. “I’ve got a nephew working at the Palmer Project and people can make good money there. I’ve got lots of nephews and nieces who want to come home but there’s no year-round work here. Right now, there are 30 families in Haines being supported by mining. “I like a good challenge. “One of the ways I’ve answered the people I talk to here, that are not mine supporters, is to say: ‘Wouldn’t you rather have mining done respon- sibly? Unless you’re willing to throw away your cellphone and car and all the rest. Wouldn’t you rather have what we need mined in a place where there are rules and regulations and oversight rather than in a country far away without that stuff.’ “That gets through to a lot of peo- Remote Locations Mineral Exploration Grade Control Monitoring and Piezometer wells Dewatering Wells Geotechnical
ple.” In describing her work on the Alas- ka Alcoholic Beverage Control Board, she repeats the theme of finding com - mon ground with those who disagree, saying she’ll continue to bring a tribal health approach, as well as her expe- rience in leadership in a small town. “I think I bring a different per - spective than people from bigger plac- es, that I hope that I can share that in some of the decisions that this body makes. We need to understand the impacts to the communities, when we make these kinds of decisions. So, I think that I bring a small community perspective in those decisions.” Jan as mayor has also often been called into interviews, to defendmin- ing when protestors object to local mine projects, including the Palmer Project. A story in The Guardian, among interviews with several mining op- ponents, include Jan’s insight on the community, while pointing out that the project’s namesake was a friend of her parents. “Mining is kind of in my blood,” she said then. Her great grandpar - ents came up to Alaska in 1898 from Washington state for the Gold Rush.
FACES, CONTINUED from PAGE 16
moved here, were not raised here and don’t understand that we embrace re- sponsible resource extraction — and that’s no matter what it is, min- ing, fishing, logging. But people who suffered from irresponsible practic - es elsewhere, when they come here, don’t understand how we do what we’ve always done. Things we’ve done responsibly throughout the state are getting bashed by people coming from elsewhere.” Educating those who don’t un- derstand resource development, and Alaska’s success in doing it responsi- bly, is critical to our future, she said. She laughs at the idea of predicting where Alaska or mining will be in 50 years. “My crystal ball is full of hope. That’s the way I am! Sure, I get de - pressed and down in the dumps, but the bottom line is 50 years from now we’re going to see more changes. “Talking to my grandfather about his experiences like seeing the first Model T in Haines and things that made dramatic changes to his life, and
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Winter 2022
“We have dealt with resource ex- traction in this community, and it’s worked well for us. For the most part, it is done responsibly and that’s what is important to all of us,” she said in that interview. She pointed to Constantine hiring locals who can buy homes offering “good-paying summer jobs” for students and purchasing all the goods it can in Haines. And experts at Constantine offered help after the recent fatal land- slide that would not have been available otherwise. “They stepped up immediate- ly,” Hill said. “They are a part of our community. “None of us want bad things to happen to our fish or any of the wildlife. We live a subsistence life- style here. We depend on our fish and moose, the bears and ducks — all the creatures that God gave us. We all have these concerns, but I believe Constantine is very respon - sible. They are very regulated; they are good stewards of the environ- ment.” Jan is proud of AMA’s work in the local branch. “I’ve been involved with AMA
since Liz Cornejo brought it to our attention and we started the chap- ter here. I’d been aware of AMA through the Southeast Conference and got on the board because I want to support responsible mining. “I’m retired now and have time to pick and choose what I do, and I really want to support mining.” Despite all the service, or per- haps because of it, Jan keeps room in her schedule for fun. “I right now like to play around with gardening. I’m a beader and I like to cook and bake, and since I live alone, share my stuff. But my favorite thing is being the drum- mer in our traditional dance group, the Chilkat dancers. “I meet cruise ships every Wednesday, meeting and greeting people, and at the end of the day we do a 15-minute performance at the dock. Through it all, she’s a relent- less, joyful booster for her home- town. “I think encourage I people to come to Haines and visit. I love to talk about Haines. We love visitors. We’re a real Alaska community. It’s a very special place!” Hill said.
Photo Courtesy Jan Hill Jan on the cruise ship dock at Haines, her favorite spot on summer days to greet Haines visitors.
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Coeur Alaska donates $300K toward scholarships at UAS Photo Courtesy Coeur Alaska From left to right: Rochelle Lindley, Coeur Alaska Community & Government Affairs Manager, Dr. Jason Amundson, UAS Associate Professor of Geophysics, Mark Kiessling, General Manager Coeur Inc., Dr. Karen Carey, UAS Chancellor, and Dr. Sonia Nagorski, UAS Associate Professor of Geology. Coeur Alaska, Inc., owner and operator of the Kensington Mine, donated $300,000 to strengthen the Coeur Alaska Kensington Mine Environmental Science Award, an endowed scholarship fund supporting University of Alaska Southeast (UAS) students majoring in Environmental Science or Marine Biology.
Coeur Alaska’s Kensington Mine has made a substantial investment in future Alaska environmental and ma- rine biology professionals, by donating $300,000 to fund science scholarships at the University of Alaska Southeast in Juneau. “Coeur Alaska is committed to sup - porting the communities in which we live and operate — both now and in the years to come,” said Mark Kiessling, General Manager of the Coeur Alaska Kensington Mine. “We are proud to invest in Alaska’s greatest resourc- es, the environment and its people. Through our partnership with UAS, this endowment fund will help develop Alaska’s next generation of environ-
mental stewards.” The majority of the donation will be invested in the endowment fund for future scholarships, and the re- maining $10,000 will be immediately available for awards. This donation will significantly raise the minimum award amount from $1,000 to $3,000 per student. UAS faculty members and Coeur Alaska staff will work together to raise awareness of the scholarship and award to eligible Alaskan students. “We greatly appreciate this gen- erous contribution from Coeur Alaska and their ongoing commitment to UAS and the environmental science pro- gram,” said UAS Associate Professor of Geophysics Dr. Jason Amundsen. “The
contribution will allow us to increase the size and number of scholarships that we give to students, making it easier for students to continue their education and focus on their studies. This can make a huge difference in the lives of our students.” All Marine Biology and Environ- mental Science majors at UAS are in- vited to apply for one of multiple avail- able awards. Preference will be given to full-time Juneau or Southeast res- idents maintaining at least a 3.0 GPA. For more information about apply- ing to this and other scholarships at UAS, visit the Financial Aid website or contact the Financial Aid office at UAS at 907-796-6255.
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Meet your AMA Board for 2021-23!
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As you will see, they reflect the best of Alaska and of our industry. We want you to know their stories and feel comfortable reaching out to them with questions or ideas. The strength of our organization is the experi- ence, dedication, diversity and determination of our members, as reflected in our leadership. And in the coming year, whether we meet via Zoom, email or in person, know that your lead- ership is working hard every day to protect your interests and advance mining in Alaska.
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AMA Board Member Profiles AMA Board Members: Statewide Officers
President Bartly Kleven Bartly Kleven is the Environmen- tal Manager for Kinross Alaska. Bartly was raised in Chugiak, Alaska where her family moved in 1976. After earning her Civil Engineering degree
Second Vice President Blake Bogart I have been a part of AMA for 13 years now. I studied mining engineer- ing and environmental studies at UAF.
Past President Bill Jeffress Bill Jeffress has more than 49 years of experience in natural resource development that includes almost 20 years in mine site operations. His environ -
I have worked on various hard rock, exploration, and placer projects around Nome. I have played a part of a few roles in the AMA Nome branch; I love working with Alas- ka Resource Edu - cation whenever they come to Nome!
mental and oper- ating experience extends from initial permitting of exploration proj- ects through the design, permitting and construction of major mining projects, and mine site closures.
at Montana State University, Bart- ly moved back to Alaska. Since then Bartly has lived and worked in Fairbanks focusing on environmen- tal permitting and
BILL JEFFRESS
BARTLY KLEVEN
BLAKE BOGART
compliance in the mining, utility and oil and gas sectors. Recent accomplish - ments include successful reclamation and closure of True North, the first large metal mine in Alaska, permitting mine expansions totaling 2 million poured ounces of gold and last (but not least) maintaining an excellent environmental compliance record at Kinross Fort Knox. Bartly is a recent empty-nester with son Carson (20) and daughter Shayne (18) working and going to school. Vice President Lorali Simon Lorali’s family was one of the orig- inal colonist families in the Mat-Su Valley, which settled there in the 1930s.
He has been a member of AMA for over 29 years and served on Federal and State Oversight Committees, Board of Directors, Chair of Anchorage and Fairbanks branches, and is the outgoing President of AMA.
I really enjoy the mining industry in Alaska, some of the best people around. I enjoy fly-fishing and playing hockey. I also enjoy supporting my daughters Kourtney (7) and Kyla (4) in anything they want to do, currently Kourtney is into swimming and STEM. Kyla likes to sing and tell jokes. My wife, Kelly and I enjoy spending time at our camp and fishing and hunting in the midnight sun on the Seward Peninsula. Treasurer Kim Aasand Mr. Aasand has over 30 years of public accounting experience. He is a member in Aasand & Glore, LLC. He has
been a member of the Alaska Miners Association for over 20 years. Currently, Mr. Aasand is member of the American Institute of CPAs, the Alaska Society of CPAs, and past Board member for
Lorali grew up in Palmer and grad- uated from Palmer High School. She went on to earn a bachelor’s degree in political science and master’s degree in public admin- istration from the University of Alaska Anchorage. Lorali serves as
the Alaska Soci- ety of CPAs. He also holds an accreditation from the American Institute of CPA as a Personal Financial Specialist (PFS). As a member of Aasand & Glore, LLC, Mr. Aasand oversees client ser - vices for a large, diversified group of clients. Along with tax preparation ser- vices, other services provided include financial & tax planning and business consulting and IRS representation. Personal time I enjoy spending time with family, pickleball, golf, hiking, travel, fishing, and being outdoors. KIM AASAND
LORALI SIMON
an executive committee member of the Board of Directors for the Resource De - velopment Council and Alaska Miners Association. In 2010, Lorali was selected as one of Alaska’s Top 40 Under 40. Lorali began her professional ca- reer as a legislative aide in the Alaska State Legislature where she held many positions including House Resourc - es Committee Aide, Finance Aide, and Chief of Staff. After spending nearly 10 years with the legislature, Lorali served as the Corporate and Foundation Relations Manager at the University of Alaska before moving on to Matanuska Electric as the Government and Corpo - rate Communications Manager. Lorali joined Usibelli Coal Mine in the spring of 2010 and serves as the Vice President of External Affairs.
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Chairman Ted Hawley I grew up in Alaska spending sum- mers with my family at remote geo- logical exploration and mining camps and winters in Anchorage. I graduated from Dimond HS in 1972 and after starting a family attended Humboldt State University
Kirk Currey Kirk Currey made his way to Alas - ka from Almont, Michigan, in 1975 by hitchhiking 3,800 miles. Within his first week of arriving in Anchorage, he found a job as a day laborer, then truck driver and operator. In 1975, Currey got a chance to work on the Trans
Gemma Hawley Gemma is a lifelong Alaskan. Gem- ma, her husband Eric, and their four daughters were all born and raised
in Anchorage. No matter what the season, they enjoy spending time at the family cabin on Colorado Lake. Gemma joined Alaska Airlines in April 2003 as a Customer Service Agent at the Ted Steven’s Anchor- age International
and obtained a BS in Environmental Resources Engi - neering. From 1982 through the pres- ent, I’ve worked in private consult- ing engineering, primarily leading design and con- struction of solid
Alaska Pipeline. For the past 35 years, Currey has been in sales with Construction Machinery Inc.
GEMMA HAWLEY
and Construction Machinery Indus- trial LLC. He loves people and has been a fierce advocate for contractors and miners across Alaska. He has been in - volved with AGC and the Alaska Miners Association for more than 20 years and served on the AGC board of directors for nine years. His two children, Kirk Jr. and Rebecca, are his greatest accomplish - ments, along with his grandchildren, Grace, Claire Luca and Cooper. His wife, Carrie, has been part of his life for 25 years and is also active with him in the AMA community. KIRK CURREY
Airport. Gemma has spent the last 15 years as part of the Anchorage based Sales team. Gemma manages relation- ships with organizations in the South- central region and Kodiak. Gemma’s experience in the travel industry within the state gives her a local’s perspective on the impact transportation can have on Alaskan communities and business- es. Sonia Henrick Sonia Henrick is serving her second term on the AMA Board of Directors. She was born and raised in Ketchikan
TED HAWLEY
waste facilities. Since 2008 I’ve been part of HDR’s environmental science and engineering group in Alaska. I got involved in AMA about 2008 and became Anchorage Branch Chair in 2014. I value this organization highly and am happy to serve. Vice Chair Jeanine Schmidt Jeanine Schmidt is a retired eco- nomic geologist born in Detroit. After working on farms in Ontario and evaluating prospects the SW US for Exxon Miner- als, she moved to
and now lives in Eagle River with her husband, Josh, and their two kids, Solomon and Grace. Sonia has spent her professional career working in Alaska politics, including: the Legislature, the Governor’s Office, and the US Senate. She also worked for
Heidi Hansen
Alaska, working for Anaconda and Bear Creek Mining Co. before spending 30 years at the USGS Branch of Alaskan Geology. She earned a B.S. in Geology from the Univ. of Michigan, and M.S.
Heidi Hansen is a financial adviser to individuals and small businesses and also serves as counsel to Doyon, Limited, Lands and Natural Resources. Among other experiences, Heidi served as Deputy
SONIA HENRICK
JEANINE SCHMIDT
ExxonMobil. Sonia now runs her own lobbying firm, Good Faith Consulting, where she represents clients who share a common desire to responsibly develop Alaska’s natural resources.
HEIDI HANSEN
and PhD in Ore Deposits and Explo- ration from Stanford University. She is currently active on AMA’s State and Federal Oversight committees, previ- ously served on the ARE Curriculum committee, as Sec./Treasurer of the SC AK chapter of the Society of Mining En- gineers, on the board of Chugiak Youth Sports Association, and on various ASD committees and PTA boards. She and her mostly-retired helicopter pilot hus- band David Beard live in Eagle River, where she attempts to drag him in to her hobbies of hiking, berry picking, travel, and snowshoeing.
Commissioner of Alaska’s Depart-
ment of Natural Resources and counsel to the US Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. Heidi loves all things outside, par - ticularly fat tire biking in our winter wonderland, and travel, which has spanned over 30 countries and the bulk of our united states. Heidi is a past AMA Director and lives in Anchorage with her husband and two goldendoodles.
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