Attempt to revive Ambler Road project through defense bill amendment prompts reaction from Alaskans

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) - In the proposed defense bill by the U.S. Senate being endorsed by the Senate Armed Service’s Committee, U.S. Sen. Dan Sullivan aims to authorize more than $790 million in military construction for Alaska, a move that could significantly boost the state’s defense infrastructure.

The senator also hopes to use the legislation to reverse the Biden Administration’s rejection of the Ambler Road project, which reversed a Trump-era policy to allow the project back in 2020.

Sullivan is looking to revive the proposed 211-mile Ambler Road project, the non-public road intended to facilitate mineral development that would run from the Dalton Highway to the Ambler Mining District. The senator cited national security interests as the need for the project.

“We are completely reliant — way too reliant — on the Chinese communist economy, on China for critical minerals. So we have to produce and mine these minerals in our own country. That just makes sense. We should not be reliant on one of our biggest adversaries,” Sullivan said.

The Brooks Range Council opposes the Ambler Road project and supports the Biden Administration’s rejection, saying there are unacceptable risks to wildlife habitat, water quality, and the Native communities that depend on natural resources.

“I would like to see my representatives and senators represent Alaskans and their issues,” John Gaedeke, chairman of the Brooks Range Council, said. “There’s so much talk about federal overreach, and for us in this region, it’s a state overreach that doesn’t listen to our concerns.”

Randy Ruaro, executive director of the Alaska Industrial Development and Export Authority (AIDEA), said he thinks Sullivan’s language — especially the part that says the Bureau of Land Management shall grant the right away within 30 days of the defense bill being enacted — is helpful.

“It allows us to go to court and hopefully it’s very clear, and the judge just says, you know, Secretary of Interior, it’s not up to you to make the law,” Ruraro said.

AIDEA is the state-owned entity overseeing the project, and officials said it supports Sullivan’s efforts. They also said that large-scale mining operations and the project can coexist with the native environment.

Ruaro talked about economic opportunities for families and communities near the project.

“The cost of fuel, cost of groceries, and other things in those communities, is extremely high,” Ruaro said. “There’s not a lot of jobs out there.”

But Gaedeke questions how many jobs the project will actually create.

“It’s just all seen as an opportunity to create jobs, and we’re really worried that the number one export in Alaska is actually jobs and money,” Gaedeke said. “Most of the jobs in this region end up going to people from out of state and 90% of the money goes out of state as well.”

In the end, Sullivan says he wants to put the projects back in the hands of Alaskans.

“Alaskans will decide whether to move forward on this road, not an administration that, in my view, shuts down Alaska every time it can,” Sullivan said.

The NANA Regional Corporation — which withdrew its involvement in the Ambler Road Project in May due to AIDEA not addressing its concerns about unmet criteria, insufficient consultation, and significant concerns regarding the project’s alignment with NANA’s values and interests — also chimed in with a response to the bill’s amendment.

“Senator Sullivan’s amendment to the defense bill, which aims to revive the Ambler Road project, does not address the underlying issues previously raised by NANA and therefore does not change NANA’s stance,” a NANA official wrote in an email. “NANA’s position remains firm, and NANA will continue prioritizing the values and long-term interests of our Iñupiat shareholders and land stewardship. NANA will continue its dialogue with Senator Sullivan’s office and will remain engaged in all federal processes that may influence the future of any decision regarding the Ambler Access Project. NANA remains open to future opportunities for mineral development in the region that align with its criteria and values.”

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