Earthworks Statement on the Ambler Road Record of Decision

​Today, the Biden administration released the Record of Decision (ROD) for the proposed Ambler Road, selecting the “No Action Alternative,” which blocks the proposed 211-mile mining road through the Southern Brooks Range and Gates of the Arctic National Preserve in Alaska. The Final Environmental Impact Statement on the proposed road, released by the Department of Interior in April, found that the industrial road “would significantly and irrevocably impact resources, including those supporting important subsistence uses, in ways that cannot be adequately mitigated.” There are no current mines or even pending mine plan proposals within the project area, only speculative exploration projects. 

Below is a statement from Earthworks’ Executive Director Jennifer Krill.

​“Today’s momentous decision marks a victory for the Alaska rural communities and tribes who fought tirelessly to safeguard their homeland from the disastrous Ambler Road. We applaud the Biden administration for listening to these communities and the American people, and taking action to protect Alaska’s Brooks Range, abundant wildlife, and national parklands for future generations. We are proud to stand in support of Indigenous leaders on this historic occasion.”