The Alaska economy received a blow on Wednesday. NANA Regional Corporation, Inc. announced its board of directors’ decision to withdraw from further involvement with the Ambler Access Project.
That means that the surface access permit that is held by Alaska Industrial Development and Export Authority, (AIDEA) will not be renewed this year.
“This decision reflects unmet criteria, insufficient consultation, and a lack of confidence in the project’s alignment with our values and community interests. NANA upholds a rich legacy of responsible resource development in our region, guided by a commitment to protect and advance our Iñupiat way of life. NANA established specific criteria required to consider supporting AAP [Ambler Access Project], including controlled access, protection of caribou migration routes and subsistence resources, job creation and community benefits. These criteria remain insufficiently addressed by AIDEA,” NANA said in a statement, adding that the project is not in the best interests of its Alaska Native shareholders.
The access is needed to get to a mining area that the state wants to develop to improve the economy of Northwestern Alaska.
In March, the Village of Hughes threw its support in for the project, passing a resolution that points out that it is one of the few communities that is located near the proposed road.
“This resolution acknowledges the high unemployment and expensive cost of living in the area and the potential benefits a limited-access road will enable for communities in Northwest Alaska. By backing the Ambler Road, Hughes Village recognizes the significant opportunities the project will bring, including local job creation nd lower cost of supplies,” the Village stated.
But NANA said, “We continue resisting attempts by the federal government to deny Alaska Native corporations’ control over our Indigenous owned lands and diminish our role in decision-making affecting our lands.
“Our Elders fought to retain our ancestral lands in the Upper Kobuk, emphasizing both their subsistence value and mineral resource potential. It is our responsibility to steward these lands for future generations,” said Gia Hanna, chair of the NANA board of directors. “All decisions about development on our lands need to be made by and with our people at the table. We intend to vigorously defend our right to pursue resource and infrastructure development in alignment with our values.”
“For more than 40 years NANA has successfully developed our resources alongside trusted industry partners in ways that respect our way of life and advance our region as a whole,” said John Lincoln, NANA president and CEO. “While NANA is disengaging from the AAP, we maintain our interest in future mineral development in the region that aligns with the expectations of our shareholders.”
It’s possible the only way left to get to the mining site will be to tunnel or put train tracks. The access to the site is guaranteed under federal law, and the state was promised access to its lands at Statehood. In any case, the Biden Administration unlikely to approve permits to the area that has the copper, zinc, lead, gold, silver, and cobalt deposits needed for the Biden “green energy” future.
In short: give us a bigger cut.
The Ambler Road could be built entirely on lands owned by the State of Alaska. Issue the permits, build the road and open it to the public.
So you figured out something neither the State or AIDEA had been able to uncover—how to build the project without a federal permit? Have you even looked at the project details?
I don’t understand why any Alaskan would support foreign owned mining, in this case Trilogy Metals when they get all the minerals and money and Alaska gets next to nothing with Ambler mining contractors bringing in their own equipment operators, “” what Jobs ?”, how could this be good for our economy?
That makes Doyon and Nana native corporations not allowing foreigners on their land, good for them, its they’er land.
Dont be fooled… Its not “they’er land”. Deb Haaland under Smokin Joe(the big guy) just fooled them into thinking it was.
Andy; NANA and DOYON were incorporated in 1972 as part of the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act, and yes it is their land.
Please research before you write, after all, we’re all adults here 😉
A swift kick in the nuts is worse than a kick in the a–. If you dare, ask for whom the bell tolls! Bury that road project and cry your eyes out or laugh yourselves silly!
Excellent.
America needs Wilderness and Alaska has it. Look at a map of anywhere in Lower 48 and you’ll see a capillary system of dirt roads. In Utah there is no wild place that is more than seven miles from a road. Alaska is rich in huge, fundamentally intact ecosystems rather than a patchwork of cobbled distressed wild parcels. It feels good to be wealthy!
NANA is a private land holder and y’all as libertarian types, should respect that.
AIDEA is a gross failure, ethics-wise, transparency-wise and success-wise. Blame your perceived failure on them.
If there were fewer people on the earth, the demand for minerals would decrease and corporate boondoggles like the Ambler Road would disappear.
Good move NANA.
“Fewer people on earth….” You first.
Expensive engineering that we helped pay for was a great start to fewer people on Earth thanks to the magnificent and highly profitable Covid virus. Thanks Dr. Fauci and enjoy your sudden wealth.
I think of the lower 48 as a toxic burned out ashtray.
Interesting. Both Doyon and Nana are not going along with this? I can appreciate that they are trying to hold the government to the original deal. I just hope that when this illegal regime occupying the Big House are taken to Gitmo, the native corporations will come back to the negotiation tables.
The only inupiats at the table are the ones in their corporate gang, they are exclusive , not inclusive and only represent a small group of peoples political goals, which I call a harem because mainly you have to give it up to a certain group of native men or die. The native corporations have only successfully disenfranchised their shareholders and region. The area was teaming w jobs when I was little until they got too big for their britches. There’s no comparative economical analysis establishing this system as better than a real corporation competing in a real financial market. Successful compared to what? I’d say the last thing these native corporations are is successful. Responsible to whom? Reviewing their job openings the last thing they steward is the economic health, well-being and access to quality healthcare for their people, they have more out of state jobs for people we’ll never know and you have to have a secret clearance. I didn’t sign up to be a federal government cosack! Their everything sucks. God bless them with everything they do to abuse the roles of these native corporations. Whatever! I’ve been asking to be disenrolled, they’ve only manipulated and help my abusers nail the coffin in my grave. They suck. Karma is a b! I don’t know them; I don’t want them deciding anything for me or backing politicians like peltola or murkowski and the polar institute and public broadcasting. Next!
Now write a story about the devastating impact of processing plant closures in King Cove, et al
Paying off the natives now…. Isnt that something new?
And all you natives and native corporations are good with the monetary loss?
Interesting, probably don’t want to open up the area and expose the Red Dog scam to the public. One mountain down, working on the second. Does this explain the wind and cloud changes in Alaska or is someone allowing cloud seeding within the State? Just asking.
The sky fell…that explains everything from covid all the way back to the dinosaurs
I think it’s a little bit of everything Terrance. Our state is being destroyed from every angle: land, sea (research “iron fertilizer” experiments involving the sea for example), and air. So many are not awake to all of the destruction. The amount of roads/”trails” throughout Alaska now is surprising as we don’t hear much about all of these roads. The amount of mining going on that is leveling areas. Will all of these holes from mining become our next huge lakes or reservoirs that will already contain toxic chemicals? I don’t believe that there is any “pristine” areas left in this state thanks to greed.
Follow the money
Blaine in Camelot, “if there were fewer people on earth”…… go for it bubby, do Mother Earth a solid, abort yourself.