RESPONSIBLE DEVELOPMENT IS BETTER IN OUR BACK YARD
One project being helped now is New Range Copper Nickel’s NorthMet project in northeastern Minnesota, where work on permitting has been underway for more than two decades. Another is Twin Metals, a planned copper-nickel-cobalt mine, also in permitting for years. A third is Talon Metals’ proposed high-grade Nickel mine, also in Minnesota. In the Copper State of Arizona, there is Resolution Copper, east of Phoenix, which could become the nation’s largest copper mine. In Idaho, there is Black Pine, a gold project. In Alaska, Sistad will be helping Pebble, which faces local opposition similar to that faced by multiple entities in north- ern Minnesota. Sistad is helping with regional energy projects, too, like Enbridge’s “Line 5,” a 645-mile pipeline that’s been operating safely for more than six decades with a couple of key improvement projects in Wisconsin and Michigan.
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When Sistad visited Alaska a few years ago, what he heard about the Ambler Road and Pebble project sounded familiar. Sistad sees his role in doing grassroots communi- ty-level advocacy for small to medium-size mining and energy projects where developers often prefer to avoid the limelight. However, it’s vital to get information out about how these projects help reinforce main street in small towns and regions where they are being planned. Better In Our Back Yard doesn’t do lobbying with government or regulatory agencies. Sistad said that’s better left to industry organizations like the National Mining Association or, in Alaska, the Alaska Miners Association. What he prefers to do is take on specific projects, at the request of developers, to focus on specific local and regional benefits. Sistad organizes social media outreach and participates in community meetings to help get their positive stories out.
joined us to share how AMA has led efforts to tell mining’s story with clarity and confidence. That’s the heart of our work at Better In Our Back Yard. I grew up in northern Minnesota and have spent my career working with rural and Indigenous com- munities across the Upper Midwest. I’ve seen what happens when responsible development is done right — and when it isn’t. Communities thrive when they’re informed, engaged and empowered to help shape the projects that affect their land, their economy and their future. That’s why we founded Better In Our Back Yard (BIOBY): to create space for local advocates, union tradespeople, small business owners and community
BY RYAN SISTAD, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, BETTER IN OUR BACK YARD
Across the country, conversations around mining, energy and critical minerals are growing louder. But too often, the voices of the people who live closest to these projects are left out. At Better In Our Back Yard, we believe real progress doesn’t come from top-down decisions or out-of-state talking points. It comes from communities that understand the land, the work, and what’s at stake. When I visited Anchorage for the Meet Alaska confer- ence, I heard firsthand from Alaskan mining leaders about their deep commitment to balancing resource development with community care. This same message resonated with attendees at our Minnesota conference, where your own Deantha Skibinski
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For more information, visit betterinourbackyard.com.
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THE ALASKA MINER - THE MAGAZINE OF THE ALASKA MINERS ASSOCIATION
SPRING 2026 | ALASKAMINERS.ORG
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