So much to consider on both sides of this. It always seems to be either an all or nothing option.
The road corridor was specifically set aside at statehood to provide access to this mining district, with was well known about over 70 years ago. A right-of-way was established through a small part (like 6 miles, of a small peninsula of the Gates of the Arctic NP which was established at statehood, along with restricting over 60% of Alaska to all development). 60% isn't enough? There is more public land locked up in Alaska than all of the L48 combined.
The only reason Alaska was allowed to become a state, is because we argued that we could be self sustainable by utilizing our natural resources. We didn't have any other industries, or opportunities. Otherwise we'd still be a territory, and US tax payers would be paying even more for us to live here.
The Haul Road was promoted as an industrial road, and now it's one of the most popular destinations for hunters in and coming to Alaska. Populations of game have not declined due to access. You can hunt on an OTC tag, with restrictions of weapon or access to limit over harvesting game. 1000s of people use it every year.
The Pogo mine industrial road (60 miles long through the "40 Mile Country") is a closed to public use. The explosion of hunting popularity in the surrounding area is fueled by social media influencers, and word of mouth. 20 years ago 40 Mile Air couldn't sell all their hunts, today there is a waiting list and they sell out in about an hour. Game populations have not been negatively affected by the road, they have been affected by weather. Hunting pressure has never been higher in this area, much of it via air taxi and argo/atvs and its proximity to a highway and larger towns. The amount of game you see along the Pogo road is staggering because access via other means is challenging.
I'm in favor of this road, for many reasons. Once built and no long needed for industrial purposes it will provide access to country that is virtually inaccessible now unless you have a plane or boat, even then most of it is difficult to access. We have very few roads unlike the lessor 48 where people can spread out. I'm 100% in favor of limiting NR hunting pressure instead of the free-for-all we have now.
This area in question sees very little hunting pressure because it's so remote, and game populations are naturally low. THe people that do use it, figured it out yers ago and have a playground all to themselves. Its not someone is going to find an air taxi to take them there. Moose have only recently (last 50 years or so) invaded the area. Caribou have declined worldwide and isn't due to hunting, or roads.
The cost of the road won't be $2B unless they build it to highway standards, if its a single lane industrial road, it will cost far less. The engineers estimates put it around $350-400M plus maintenance costs. Much of that cost are for bridges.
The mining district has potential for about 4-5 mines, with only one being advanced, the others are in early exploration stages. One mine can not support the cost of this road, hence the reason it hasn't been built. Can't have a road without the mine(s) can't have a mine(s) without the road.
The "State" isn't paying for shit. It will be built by AIDEA which is a quasi-private entity within the state that was set up specifically to fund development projects such as this. It was originally capitalized with $160M in state funds in the late 70's. Through investments in development and returns on that development such as the Red Dog road (many failed investments too), they now manage around $1.5B. Show me a state agency that was appropriated money that turned it into 10x return... there isn't a single program in the US that has done that. Not one. There are many people in this state that get rabid about the fact that AIDEA has such a large amount of cash to use, and they think they should get their hands on it to pay for things they can't pay for, but once that money is gone its gone. They can't handle the fact that a government "agency" has money to spare vs always asking for a handout.
"Are air taxies that expensive?" Pretty easy to say when a guy can drop muli-1000s for a vacation and then compare it to people who just want to fill their freezers. Should elk hunts in montana require you to spend $3-4000 just to access your area? Yes they're expensive, and getting more so every year, to the point of unaffordable to most people who live here. I know very few people that fly out to hunt, most can't afford it. Many drop moose hunts have gone from $1500 to $10-12,000 in the last 15 years. Air taxi/transporter hunts are getting stupid expensive for a few reasons, one is a seemingly endless supply of people with deep pockets to drop on a OIL hunt. The guys that want to do it every year or ever other year are getting priced out for good. Sound familiar to what's happening in the L48?
Alaska needs jobs to survive, we can't rely on 2 months of tourism and fishing.
Alaska is pimped out for everyone but Alaskans... Tourism, mining, fishing, oil, timber. All of which are headquartered in some other state or nation and owned/traded for profit. This road is no different than any of the projects that have come before it.
Virtue signaling of preserving the earth, while utilizing every modern convenience and relying 100% on mining products is always interesting to me.
