Alaska stands at a pivotal moment and the stars have aligned for our state. The Ambler Road — a long-planned 211-mile industrial use corridor connecting the Ambler Mining District to the Dalton Highway — offers a generational opportunity to unlock vital economic potential for rural communities, while bolstering national security and supporting American manufacturing by ensuring a stable, domestic supply of critical minerals.
This project is about more than infrastructure. It’s about creating high-paying jobs in the Upper Kobuk region, attracting long-term private investment in our state, expanding local supply chains for some of our most rural communities, and delivering resources like copper and cobalt that are essential to everything from electric vehicles to advanced defense systems. And it can be done the Alaskan way — with rigorous environmental standards and a commitment to community engagement.
Unfortunately, this project has faced years of shifting federal decisions, despite long-standing legal precedent. Congress, led by the late Sen. Ted Stevens, clearly intended access to this region when it passed the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act (ANILCA) in 1980. Yet actions by the last administration have created unnecessary delays and uncertainty — undermining confidence in the permitting process and discouraging badly needed investment in our resource economy.
Now, there’s renewed momentum within the federal government. The Trump Administration has signaled support for the project through executive order and other federal actions and recent legislation in the Senate supports the issuance of permits for the Ambler Road, signaling a return to regulatory stability and recognition of this project’s national importance. It’s a critical step, and it must be followed by full congressional approval — but permitting alone is not enough.
To succeed, this project must also earn and maintain the social license to operate. That means continuing meaningful engagement with tribal governments, local communities, Alaska Native Corporations and subsistence users — not just as stakeholders, but as partners. Industry must listen, respond, and demonstrate a commitment to delivering shared value: local jobs, training programs, cultural protections, and infrastructure that benefits communities beyond the mine sites.
The economic case is clear. Mining in Alaska already supports over 11,000 jobs and contributes more than $1 billion in wages annually. In 2023, the industry generated nearly $50 million in local taxes and $136 million in state revenue — funding schools, roads, airports, and public services. The Ambler Road would amplify that impact, expanding access to remote mineral resources and connecting them to statewide supply chains via rail and port systems used by communities and businesses across Alaska.
We also know resource development can coexist with environmental stewardship. Alaska’s mining sector operates under some of the most stringent environmental regulations in the world. Compared to many international mineral suppliers — where worker exploitation and environmental damage are rampant — Alaska offers a safer, more ethical, and more sustainable path forward.
If we want to reduce reliance on adversarial nations for the materials our economy and defensesystems depend on, projects like the Ambler Road must move forward. But they must do so responsibly, with transparency, accountability, and long-term community benefit at the center.
The inclusion of supportive language in the Senate is a welcome sign. Now Congress must follow through and send a clear message: that Alaska can develop its resources responsibly, that legal access will be honored, and that infrastructure investment tied to good-paying jobs and critical mineral security is in the national interest.
Done right, the Ambler Road can serve as a model — not just for how we build infrastructure in remote places, but for how we align development, environmental protection, and community partnership in a rapidly changing world.
Kati Capozzi is president and CEO of the Alaska Chamber. Deantha Skibinski is the executive director of the Alaska Miners Association. Rebecca Logann is CEO of the Alaska Support Industry Alliance. Alicia Amberg is executive director of the Associated General Contractors of Alaska. Leila Kimbrell is the executive director of the Resource Development Council for Alaska.
