politics
Trump Administration Transfers Land to Alaska to Support Alaska LNG
Conservation groups argue the conveyance will leave valuable public lands vulnerable to development.
Published
The Trump administration said Wednesday that it transferred 1.4 million acres of land to the state of Alaska to support development of the 200-mile Ambler Road in an effort to open up access for mining in a remote Arctic region.
This is reported by Anchorage Daily News.
The U.S. Interior Department said in a statement that the land transfer would also support the proposed Alaska LNG megaproject that seeks to deliver North Slope gas to Asian countries and Alaskans.
Alaska LNG pipeline
The land surrounds the Dalton Highway near Coldfoot north of the Yukon River, where part of the the 800-mile trans-Alaska pipeline passes.
It’s part of the Dalton Utility Corridor, and includes the route that would host the Alaska LNG pipeline, if it is built.
A leap forward
The proposed Ambler Road is designed to open a mining district containing copper, zinc, lead and other minerals considered critical by the federal government for their economic and defense value.
"Milestone"
“This milestone represents a leap forward in advancing Alaska’s ability to responsibly develop its resources and advance economic opportunity across Alaska,” Governor for Alaska, Mike Dunleavy (R) said in a statement from The U.S. Interior Department.
The transfer of land follows action by the Trump administration in February issuing a public land order that revoked two public land orders implemented in the early 1970s. The old land orders prevented conveyance to the state of Alaska and prevented mineral exploration.
The revocations enabled the land transfer after the state requested title to the land.
Fears for nature
Conservation groups have sued over the revocations and condemned the transfer, saying it could facilitate development of the Ambler Road, opening an undeveloped region to industrial mining. It will also remove federal protections that support subsistence hunting and Alaska Native communities, they said.
The land transfer leaves Alaska with 3.8 million acres remaining under its 105-million-acre entitlement under the 1958 Alaska Statehood Act, according to the Department.
The conveyance took place under the BLM Alaska Land Transfer Program.
