WASHINGTON—In a swift move signaling a break from Biden-era energy and mining development, President Trump yesterday approved the Alaska Industrial Development and Export Authority’s (AIDEA) appeal to advance the long-stalled Ambler Road Project. The action overturned the Biden administration’s 2024 rejection of the project and reignites familiar controversy over balancing U.S.-based mineral production with environmental objections.
The 211-mile industrial road, first proposed fifteen years ago by AIDEA to connect the Dalton Highway to the remote Ambler Mining District in northwest Alaska, promises to unlock vast deposits of copper, zinc, cobalt, gallium, and other critical minerals essential for national security and green energy technologies. Without U.S.-based mines, many argue, domestic demand for minerals becomes overly dependent on foreign supply chains, which only add to global environmental woes. Dubbed one of the world’s largest undeveloped copper-zinc belts, the district holds over 1,700 active mining claims; but its isolation—accessible only by air or winter ice roads—has long hindered development. Proponents, including Alaska’s mining industry, argue the road is vital for domestic manufacturing, projecting 2,730 construction jobs, $1.1 billion in state revenues from taxes and royalties, and a boost to rural economies battered by high costs and limited opportunities.
Yet the project’s history is marred by protracted legal battles and deep divisions. Since AIDEA’s initial right-of-way application in 2018, environmental groups and several Native communities have fought it, citing irreversible harm to caribou migration routes, salmon streams, and sacred lands in the Brooks Range. The proposed route skirts the southern edge of Gates of the Arctic National Park and crosses sensitive wetlands that support subsistence activities for northern villagers who rely on hunting and fishing. In May 2024, NANA Regional Corporation, representing Northwest Alaska’s Iñupiat shareholders, severed ties with the project, citing issues with AIDEA’s management and warning of cultural harm. Earthworks and the Sierra Club warned against a “disastrous industrial corridor” that could fragment wildlife habitats and pollute rivers, urging President Biden to reject it—a plea he heeded in April 2024 by halting the issuance of federal permits.
Trump’s decision, framed as a cornerstone of his “energy dominance agenda,” directs the Bureau of Land Management, National Park Service, and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to reissue permits, deeming the road to be “in the public interest” with no viable alternatives. It builds on executive actions taken since his January 2025 inauguration: an order unleashing Alaska’s resources; streamlined permitting that reduced approval times; a March mandate to accelerate critical mineral production; an April Section 232 order to review import risks; and a June memo curbing bureaucratic overlap.
Reactions poured in swiftly. Alaska Republicans and miners celebrated, with Gov. Mike Dunleavy calling it “a win for working families.” Congressman Nick Begich, who has consistently favored the project, referred to the Ambler Mining District as “a strategic asset for Alaska and an important pathway to critical mineral development in the United States.” He described President Trump’s decision to grant AIDEA’s appeal as “a historic day for Alaska’s self-determination and will get Ambler access back on track.”
NANA reiterated opposition, vowing legal challenges, while Cooper Freeman, Alaska Director for the Center for Biological Diversity, echoed the sentiments of the Sierra Club and others: “This private mining road” he said in a written statement to MRAK, “would threaten millions of wild acres in the Arctic, and ramming this project through is a slap in the face to everyone who’s spoken out about its harms. The caribou herds migrating through this wilderness can’t take any more obstacles.”
Accompanying the Ambler Road action was an announcement that the U.S. government would make a $35.6 million investment in Trilogy Metals, securing a 10% stake plus warrants for 7.5% more, to fund exploration in the district. Trilogy, a key player, hailed it as a “game-changer” for U.S. competitiveness against China.
A Fact Sheet from the White House announcement can be seen here.
As permitting enters a fast-track phase, the Ambler Road project reflects a growing dilemma: How will America harness mineral riches without eroding the heart of our wilderness? With litigation sure to follow, this question will require both sides of the issue to make their best case to the state and to the nation.