Alaska Delegation Commends President Trump’s Re-Approval of the Ambler Access Project

WASHINGTON-U.S. Senators Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan and Congressman Nick Begich, all R-Alaska, today released the following statements after President Donald J. Trump issued a determination re-approving the Ambler Access Project in Alaska. President Trump made his decision in accordance with the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act (ANILCA), which allows the project's applicant, the Alaska Industrial Development and Export Authority (AIDEA), to appeal its federal disapproval directly to the President.

In addition to the President's ANILCA determination, the Department of Defense (War) announced a strategic partnership with Ambler Metals today that will provide a $35.6 million investment to advance mining exploration in the world-class Ambler Mining District in exchange for an equity stake in Trilogy Metals, which is part of the Ambler Metals joint venture.

"I thank President Trump for issuing this determination and getting the Ambler project back on track after it was derailed by politics at the end of the Biden administration. Congress enshrined this project's approval into federal law in 1980 as part of a 'grand bargain' to conserve more than 100 million acres of land in Alaska, and it has more national significance now than ever," SenatorMurkowski said. "The President's re-approval will unlock a world-class mining district, deliver quality-of-life benefits for communities in the region, and help grow Alaska's economy. It will also improve our national security by strengthening our mineral security and enabling us to produce more of our most important resources here at home. I look forward to federal agencies promptly re-issuing permits and authorizations so that the Ambler access project can finally proceed, and to working with the local people and Alaska Native Corporations to ensure a successful project."

"I want to thank President Trump and his team, especially Secretary of Interior Doug Burgum, for granting this appeal under Section 1106 of ANILCA, rolling back the Biden administration's egregious and lawless denial of a right-of-way for the Ambler Access Project," said Senator Sullivan. "This appeal is great news for Alaska, for jobs for our workers, for American national security, for reducing our country's critical mineral dependence on China, and for the incredible Alaskans of the region. I just spoke by phone with the President about this important announcement, and he reiterated his strong commitment to advancing the Ambler Access Project, and so many other important projects for our state, including the King Cove Road and the Alaska LNG Project. I've always said the Ambler Access Project has to be done right, with close consultation with Alaska Native and community leaders and with respect for our environment and subsistence way of life. We were able to make great progress on these fronts under the first Trump administration, but the Biden administration came in and killed this project and the thousands of good-paying jobs, economic opportunity, and improved cost of living across the region that would come with it, subverting the clear intent of ANILCA. I'm glad to see another critically important project for our state's economy and working families being put back on track."

"The Ambler Mining District is a strategic asset for Alaska and an important pathway to critical mineral development in the United States," said Congressman Begich. "By advancing this access, we are creating new opportunities for Alaskans while strengthening America's supply chain and reducing dependence on foreign adversaries for our critical mineral needs. I applaud the President's decision to support this appeal, and I look forward to working with the Administration, state leaders, and Alaska Native communities to ensure this project moves forward in a way that benefits all Alaskans."

The Ambler Access Project will provide surface transportation access to the Ambler Mining District and enable the domestic development of critical minerals such as copper, cobalt, gallium, and germanium. The U.S. heavily depends on foreign nations for many of the minerals within the Ambler District, including several for which China has threatened to cut off U.S. supplies.

ANILCA established a right-of-way (ROW) and ensured access across federal lands by stating that the Secretary of the Interior "shall permit" a road "from the Ambler Mining District to the Alaska Pipeline Haul Road." That provision was included in ANILCA to ensure balance between conservation-the creation of the surrounding 8.4-million-acre Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve-and responsible resource development to benefit Alaska and the nation.

Federal permitting for Ambler began a full decade ago, in 2015. The project was fully approved, and ROW permits were issued, in 2020. In 2022, however, the Biden administration sought a voluntary court remand to conduct a Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS). Last June, the Biden administration stunningly rejected the project in its entirety, ignoring the law and greatly exaggerating its potential impacts to justify its selection of the "no action" alternative.

When a federal agency rejects a transportation or utility system project on non-federal-wilderness land in Alaska, Section 1106 of ANILCA allows the project sponsor to directly appeal that decision to the President. AIDEA submitted an application appealing the Biden administration's decision on Ambler earlier this year, starting a 120-day clock for a presidential determination. The President's determination is based on factors listed in the statute, including the need for the transportation system and the national security interests of the United States.

Now that President Trump has approved AIDEA's Section 1106 application for the Ambler project, ANILCA requires all relevant federal agencies to "promptly issue, in accordance with applicable law, such rights-of-way, permits, licenses, leases, certificates, or other authorizations as are necessary with respect to the establishment of the system."

To read the President's determination, click here.

To access the full text of ANILCA, including Section 1106, click here.

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