Ambler Metals' Statement on the Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement for the Ambler Access Project
April 19, 2024 - (Anchorage, Alaska) - Ambler Metals released the following statement after the Bureau of Land Management’s release of the final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS) for the Ambler Access Project:
“We are deeply disappointed by the Bureau of Land Management’s politically motivated decision to block construction of the Ambler Access Project. In doing so, the Department of the Interior is depriving Alaska Native communities of thousands of good-paying jobs and millions of dollars of badly needed tax revenues and economic investment, as well as preventing the United States from developing a domestic supply of minerals that are critical for clean energy technology and national security,” said Kaleb Froehlich, Managing Director of Ambler Metals.
“This decision ignores Alaska’s proven track record of safe and responsible production of minerals, while also circumventing congressional intent in the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act (ANILCA) – which unambiguously authorizes the right-of-way for the Ambler Road that Interior is denying.”
“Since its inception, rigorous mitigation measures to protect natural resources, wildlife, and subsistence lifestyles, and consultation with local communities have been at the forefront of the Ambler Access Project. It is clear that the Ambler Access Project can be constructed safely and with minimal environmental disturbance” Froehlich added. “We remain committed to this important project and will continue to push forward using all possible avenues.”
Interior’s decision also ignores local support for the Ambler Road, which would provide an economic lifeline to a region that lacks opportunity by providing jobs and transportation of essential goods and services. The economic activity enabled by the road would also support the subsistence lifestyle of Alaska Natives, who are increasingly being forced to leave the region by the lack of jobs.
PJ Simon, First Chief of the Allakaket Tribal Council, issued the following statement on Interior’s decision:
“Without jobs, training, or development my people are on the verge of disappearing into the twilight of history. The Ambler Road has given our town hope. Salmon runs have been very low in recent years and caribou are scarce in our area. We need this road access to feed our families and allow for more affordable goods to be transported to our community, as well as the jobs and investment it would provide for our village. I want to see my young tribal members out in the forest hunting and fishing while earning a paycheck. This will keep our culture strong in a changing world. “I’m very disappointed to hear that the government won’t approve this road. Government officials need to better understand the struggles of our community and allow us to develop our resources responsibly.”
Miles Cleveland, President of the native village of Ambler, AK, and Northwest Arctic Borough assembly member, offered the following statement:
“The Ambler Road will greatly benefit our communities. This final SEIS makes it clear that our voices have been drowned out mainly by groups outside of Alaska — who don’t understand the struggles of our communities. There is no road access to ~3~ my village of Ambler. The only way to reach my village is by plane and this goes for all of the villages in the region. Everything, from heating fuel to food to building materials, must be flown in which adds a heavy cost. Job opportunities are scarce and many of our young people leave to find jobs in urban areas of the state, like Fairbanks or Anchorage. We need long-term job opportunities so that our young people can stay in their home villages. This is the only way our villages will survive. The Ambler Road is a path forward for my grandchildren and my people.”
The Ambler Access Project is a proposed 211-mile controlled industrial access road that will provide surface transportation access from the Dalton Highway to the Ambler Mining District in northwestern Alaska. This road will be only accessible to authorized industrial users who pay an access toll, allowing for the exploration and development of copper, zinc, cobalt, and other critical mineral deposits in the Ambler Mining District. Remote villages along the road will also benefit from increased accessibility to essential goods including food and fuel. Without this road, the mineral assets in the region will remain stranded, depriving local Alaskan residents of economic opportunities associated with the project and denying the United States a domestic source of minerals needed for economic and national security.
About Ambler Metals
Ambler Metals is a 50:50 independently operated LLC. The South32:Trilogy Metals Partnership was formed in 2017 through a 3-year exploration option agreement. Ambler Metals was formally established on February 11, 2020, including a partnership with NANA Regional Corporation for the exploration and development of the UKMP and advancing projects in the Ambler Mining District. Ambler Metals is an Alaskan company with offices in Anchorage and Fairbanks.