Opposition to the proposed Ambler road continues to build with the majority of those attending the AIDEA meetings voicing strong concerns regarding the road’s affect on local hunting and fishing and the Native way of life, and questioning both NovaCopper’s claims of future jobs and AIDEA’s claim that the road would remain private.

Community members voiced significant concerns about how the road may impact traditional hunting and fishing grounds. “We don’t want the road to open because we’re going to lose everything,” said Ida Ross, a Kobuk resident. “We’re losing our Native way anyway, but it’s going to be even worse with the road.”

Even the Alaska Miners Association was not comfortable showing it’s full public support for the Ambler road during the two day meeting. Deantha Crockett from the Alaska Miners Association stated that multiple other cultural, environmental and economic factors must be fully vetted before AMA would lend its support to the road. “AMA is not here today to support or oppose the road,” she said. “We believe it’s crucial to provide access to our resources, and the Ambler Mining District does consist of significant resources. However, we believe how access is created should be strategic.”

Although NovaCopper stated jobs would be offered to local residents and Alaskans in general, multiple people questioned the reality of this. Herbie Vent of Fairbanks compared it to when the trans-Alaska oil pipeline was built. “When the pipeline was built, we were promised all kinds of money and jobs,” he said. “But when the billionaires of oil, copper and gold are through their deals, they don’t need you any more. I don’t have anything against it, but once you build a road you’ll have settlers all along the road to Ambler.” Others questioned  AIDEA’s claim that the road would remain private, Jim Kowalsky a Fairbanks resident, and a founder of the Northern Alaska Environmental Center, bluntly summed up the sentiment. “I don’t know how to say it respectfully, but you’re lying,” he said. “This will be a public road.”

These quotes were taken from a recent article in the Newsminer “Interior Alaska residents voice concerns at meeting on proposed Ambler road”  . the Newsminer also published another article about the AIDEA meeting which can be found here.

Listen to KUAC’s coverage of the event here.