Executive Director’s Report
Dear Alaska Miners,
Our days are getting longer, and I don’t just mean the daylight. The 33rd Alaska Legislature is off to a busy and energetic start, and we’ve had the pleasure of intro- ducing our industry to dozens of new faces. We had a glimpse of this during the election sea- son, when we joined with the Council of Alaska Pro- ducers to conduct statewide briefings to all interest - ed candidates running for office. We met with over 50 candidates in Anchorage, Fairbanks, Mat-Su, and a statewide virtual session. In these briefings, we learned of broad, bipartisan interest and support for how Alaska can supply the nation with the miner- als it needs, and benefit Alaskans and communities across the state, all while operating safely and with the highest environmental standards. The 2022 election resulted in 23 new Legislators serving us in Juneau. Some have served before, but many are brand new faces and there is big interest in Alaska’s mines and projects. In early March, we will again join with CAP to brief the House and Senate Resources Committees on the current state of the industry, environmental performance, tremendous economic and community benefits, our workforce, and so much more. We’ll get the opportunity to take that even fur- ther with our first-ever full-day Juneau Mining Fo - rum on March 7. I’m thrilled with how this event is coming together, with Legislators helping to moder- ate panels on critical minerals, transboundary min- ing, local hire, environmental regulations, economic benefits, and other important issues. And speaking of important issues, I point to both the column by our AMA Statewide Chair, Bartly Kleven, and the full document featured elsewhere in this issue to display our 2023 AMA State Issues of Concern document. Each year, our 60-plus members of the AMA State Oversight Committee meet sever - al times to develop a list of the priorities to ensure a successful mining industry in Alaska. It is public and is provided to the Legislature, Administration, and other policymakers to communicate the policies critical to AMA. The committee is comprised of AMA members across all types of mining, and the result is a robust, diverse list of mining issues for all of our interested elected officials to evaluate what actions are necessary to move forward. I’ll save my federal gripes for another day. But looking within the state, I truly believe our future in Alaska is bright. We are seeing a deep appreciation for the
contributions from the existing mining operations and curiosity about the potential opportunities the proposed projects can bring. We have a terrific story to tell, and getting Alaskans to ask the questions and be willing to listen is a victory in itself. Thank you for continuing to provide me with the components of our story. The data you recently supplied to the McKin- ley Group for our annual economic and communi- ty benefits report, your Faces of Mining features, your photos, and your highlights paint the picture of what an Alaska Miner looks like and what our values are. AMA Executive Director Deantha Skibinski received this sticker from her fellow Big Lake Representative Kevin McCabe and staff this past month in Juneau.
Deantha Skibinski AMA Executive Director
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The Alaska Miner
Winter 2023
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