Washington, D.C. — The Brooks Range in northwest Alaska is one of the most remote and pristine mountain regions in the country, but it’s at risk of becoming an industrial mining hub that would destroy sensitive wildlife habitats and disrupt life for Alaska Native Tribes.
A new column from the Center for American Progress urges the Biden administration to protect the environmental and subsistence values of the Brooks Range by choosing not to allow industry to expand their grasp on U.S. public lands through this stretch of the Arctic.
The proposed Ambler Road project would cut through more than 200 miles of this pristine area to a planned mining district but would do nothing to help the United States remain competitive, access critical minerals, or meet climate goals, the column says.
There is no rationale in building a road to develop a mine for minerals that are either speculative in existence or not critical to U.S. clean energy development and national security. The project would also cost almost $2 billion and require more than 30 years of mining profit for the state of Alaska to break even on the investment.
Read the column: “The Biden Administration’s Opportunity To Protect the Brooks Range From Unnecessary Mining via Ambler Road” by Sam Zeno
For more information or to speak with an expert, please contact Sam Hananel at [email protected].