Biden Administration Halts 211-Mile Ambler Road Project In Alaska To Protect Environment, Native Communities

The Biden Administration has officially halted plans for the Ambler Road in Alaska, a decision that significantly impedes potential mining developments in the region. Announced initially in April, the move aims to protect the environment and uphold the interests of local communities.

"Today, my administration stopped a 211-mile road from carving up a pristine area that Alaska Native communities rely on, in addition to steps we’re taking to maintain protections on 28 million acres in Alaska from mining and drilling. These natural wonders demand our protection," President Joe Biden said in a post on X.

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The Ambler Road project aimed to construct a 340 km industrial road across Bureau of Land Management (BLM)-managed lands. This road was intended to facilitate exploration and development in the Ambler mining district, an area known for its rich copper-dominant polymetallic deposits.

Trilogy Metals TMQ, in a joint venture with diversified miner South32 SOUHY, was among the potential developers poised to benefit from this infrastructure. The road would have provided access to the Upper Kobuk Mineral Projects (UKMP), which include the Arctic and Bornite copper assets. These projects were expected to yield significant quantities of copper, zinc, lead, silver, and gold.

However, the construction of Ambler Road faced fierce opposition from environmental groups and Native communities. The primary concerns centered around the potential impacts on wildlife and subsistence resources. The BLM's decision, based on a final supplemental environmental impact statement (EIS), opted for the “no action alternative,” effectively denying the Alaska Industrial Development and Export Authority the right-of-way necessary to proceed with the road.

The analysis highlighted environmental concerns, including impacts on critical wildlife habitats and subsistence resources crucial to Native communities.

Key findings indicated that the road would have required more than 3,000 stream crossings, potentially harming at-risk wildlife species such as Alaskan sheefish and the Western Arctic caribou herd. Additionally, there were concerns about irreparable impacts on permafrost, and increased accessibility would have led to heightened community disruptions.

In conjunction with this decision, the BLM also released a final EIS analyzing the proposed revocation of existing withdrawals on 28 million acres of BLM-managed public lands across Alaska. 

The EIS identified the “no action” alternative as the preferred option, retaining current protections and preventing potential impacts from future development.

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