No one wants development, but everyone wants what comes from it, a.k.a Alaskan's collecting a PFD, laugh'n.
What do you think AK would like like without Prudo? There would be a heck of a lost less people here, less infrastructure, no PFD, no running water in 90% of the villages, etc. The north slope built this state, before that we were a territory with a few trappers, gold miners, and fishermen. No way it could survive on its own with that kind of economy. Look at the Yukon, Nunavut or NTW. We'd be exactly the same. 100,000 living off the federal government.
The state won't get anything out of the road to Ambler? How about 1000+ year round jobs, just for starters. There is only 140,000 non-government jobs in AK. Almost 60% of jobs in Alaska are federal/state/local government funded jobs. Who pays for those jobs? Oil does, and when it dries up, he other 40% will. 1000 jobs is a lot, especially when they pay 3x the average rate. Less we forget the property/income tax on a mine, AND on the property/toys owned by the miners (who pay for local schools). The argument that the jobs will just be "temporary" mining jobs. The only jobs that last forever are government jobs. Go look at the industrial cities like Detroit, Columbus, etc. How did long did that job boom last? That was different right? Nearly every town in the mountains in the west has its roots, or was tied to mining in the past.
There is potential for a half a dozen mines in the Ambler district and decades and decades of potential development, for minerals that are in short supply worldwide, at least ones that the US could control. China controls 40-45% of the worlds copper now. You think OPEC has a strangle hold on the world, wait until China takes the reins.
Those deposits around have been known for a long time. One project (Bornite Mine) operated for a short time but had no way of getting the ore/concentrate out to market economically so it stalled 50+ years ago.
In case you haven't noticed we've lost about 10,000 high paying oil field/support jobs in AK that aren't coming back. If it wasn't for $90-100bbl oil we'd be paying income tax in the near future, and your PFD would go away. Well at least those of us with a job would lose it. Your PFD was huge this year, be grateful for that $100bbl oil, and the feds for giving us some Covid money.
Once oil money dries up, we'll have to start paying for all those "free" services, well at least those of us who don't work for the government. Who is going to pay for all those services that we dearly love, like road maintenance, airports, schools, govn't funded welfare programs, medicaid, etc. The Feds? Those people who don't have government jobs will foot the bill. Not sure if you followed what's happening, but to make a sustainable budget at $50bb oil, we will need like a 15% income tax and about a 15% sales tax. Just so we can pay for medical services statewide and for schools in the bush. Lets build a few more $20-30M schools for 60 kids, and pay for it with oil money. When its gone, who pays to maintain the school? Its not the people living there, they don't have a job, nor do they pay property tax. It will be those 140,000 people who don't have a government job.
Tourism won't keep this state afloat more than 2 months a year, and most of those people that work those jobs don't even live here. Fishing? Most of that money goes to Washington, and the locals that fish, do so as a second job for a month a year. The majority of fishing jobs are non-locals. We don't have nearly as many fish as we used to either. The amount of "tax" paid on fish doesn't even cover the management of them. Many of the locals deal in cash for their fish, so they skirt the government pick-pocket as well amongst other ways of not paying their fair share.
I get the preserve everything forever idea, but ANILCA set aside 2/3 of the state as a national park or monument to preserve the grandeur of Alaska forever. Lets preserve the rest too? Sounds like the argument of expand a buffer around Yellowstone or Denali to save the wolves that live in the park 90% of the time. Wait until they want to include the elk as well.
One of the main reasons for ANICA was to preserve wild lands but more importantly allow for the development of natural resources in Alaska on those areas not preserved forever. When it was singed, everyone knew that Alaska wasn't sustainable as a state without resource development. The State was granted a huge amount of land to develop to create a sustainable economy... Yet here we are trying to keep the economy from developing. The state (and native corps) selected land specifically for development of resources, or to control access to lands. Ever wonder why AHTNA and CIRI controls most of the land along the highways in south central? Weird that their "traditional lands" are coincidently only found within a mile of a highway.
Hunt the Hual road, or have aspirations of it but are against Ambler? If so you're a hypocrite to the nth level.
The Ambler road is proposed to be a private industrial road, and so was the Haul Road, but people complained and it was opened up, but with a buffer. A portion of the Ambler road corridor through Gates of the Arctic was set aside SPECIFICALLY with an easement for a road to the Ambler mining district. Here we are 42 years later trying to reneg on the deal. Why not open it up for access? Because the 4 local villages within 40 miles of the road don't want competition. I'm sure if it was open 90% or more of the people on this website would jump at the chance to have access to such wild country, and not require a $5000 bush flight. I could be wrong though.
What about the 60 mile road to Pogo mine that was built 15 years ago? Is that some sort of ecological disaster into untamed Alaskan wilderness? Most people don't even know it exists. There are no villages or private hunting lodges out there, so no one cared. There is 100% without a doubt more moose along that 60 mile stretch than there is or ever will be along the entire Ambler corridor. Moose were not even prevalent along the south side of the Brooks range 50 years ago. The locals claim subsistence will be impacted... for an animal that wasn't even a traditional subsistence animal. There are very few caribou present along much of the Ambler corridor.
What about the 50 mile long port road connecting Red Dog Mine to the port? It runs right through the middle of the WACH migration path. After the North Slope, Red Dog is the next largest contributor to Native Corporation coffers and employer. The locals use the road, and so do the caribou... It all comes down to control, and who has it. I'd give a left testicle to get hunting access off the Pogo road.
Pretty easy to be against something when it doesn't effect you directly, i.e. NIMBY. Even if it is in your backyard, you should open your eyes a bit and see that it does in fact benefit you.
Mining = bad. Live a day without a mining product or something developed from a mineral. It will be a hard, cold day.
eplanning.blm.gov
how much was your PFD this year?
