Ryan Anderson, project manager for the Ambler Road at the Alaska Department of Transportation, said at a briefing for the Alaska Citizens’ Advisory Commission on Federal Areas that the DOT hopes to begin the permitting process for the road to Ambler in October of 2012.  This means that DOT will begin a scoping process as required by the National Environmental Policy Act, which is required by law for most large projects.  By then, DOT and its contractors will have much of the data they need to start the process, and will begin taking input from the public during formal meetings.