Environmental Policies Under Scrutiny as Alaska Mining Road Threatens Arctic

Tristen Pattee hunts with his family along the Kobuk River near Ambler, Alaska, where heavy rains have contributed to riverbank erosion on September 30, 2025. The Trump administration approved the construction of the Ambler Access Road, a 211-mile route designed to reach massive copper deposits, cutting through wilderness and crossing 11 major rivers and thousands of streams critical for salmon and caribou migratory patterns.

Record rainfall in Northwest Alaska has already flooded villages and damaged fish spawning habitats, compounding challenges for Indigenous communities already witnessing declines in caribou and salmon populations.

The Western Arctic Caribou Herd has decreased from nearly half a million to about 164,000 over the last two decades, a 66 percent decline, with fewer animals crossing the Kobuk River during traditional migrations.

Climate change has caused increasingly delayed cold and snow, affecting migration. Heavy rainfall damages fish eggs and raises water temperatures, reducing oxygen levels necessary for upstream journeys, leading to significant declines in Chinook and chum salmon.

The Ambler Road is projected to add pressure to an already strained ecosystem, with potential habitat fragmentation, water flow disruptions, and heavy truck traffic over decades. The Bureau of Land Management has designated 1.2 million acres of nearby salmon spawning and caribou calving habitat as critical environmental concern.

The road will also require vast water withdrawals, disrupt groundwater, and involve constructing a tailings facility to store toxic materials, raising concerns about potential contamination of drinking sources and traditional foods.

Karmen Monigold, a member of Protect the Kobuk, emphasizes the threat to their subsistence lifestyle, while Pattee acknowledges the road's potential to provide jobs amidst high living costs, stating that a single caribou hunting trip may cost $400 due to gasoline prices at $17.50 per gallon.

Ambler Metals, the company behind the mining project, asserts it will implement safety controls for permafrost and adhere to strict water treatment standards. However, the potential economic benefits of mining must be weighed against environmental degradation and the impacts on Indigenous rights and land.

Ambler Mayor Conrad Douglas recognizes the need for jobs but worries about the environmental repercussions. Nick Jans, an author and long-time resident, argues that the road could deliver a fatal blow to the fragile ecosystem.

He warns that the impacts of climate change are evident and that without protecting this land, future generations will suffer.