112217_AIDEA-Brochure-Interactive

ALASKA INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT & EXPORT AUTHORITYAMBLER MINING DISTRICTACCESS PROJECT AIDEA has submitted and the federal agencies have accepted an application for transportation and utility systems and facilities on federal lands (SF-299). The SF-299 begins the process for access to the Ambler Mining District set out in the passage of the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act (ANILCA). PROJECT UPDATES: “ Congress finds that there is a need for access for surface transportation purposes across1. Bureau of Land Management the Western (Kobuk River) unit of the Gates of (BLM) filed a Notice of Intent (NOI) in the Federal Register the Arctic National Preserve (from the Ambler to begin an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). Mining District to the Alaska Pipeline Haul2. Scoping comments on the EIS Road) and the Secretary shall permit such are due by January 31, 2018. “ access in accordance with the provisions of3. 2017 BLM Scoping Meetings: www.ambleraccess.org/meetings.html this subsection. ANILCA, Section 201(4)(b) Allakaket: November 13 The Ambler Mining District is an area with rich mineral Anaktuvuk Pass: November 14 resources (see map inside) and has been explored for Alatna: November 15 decades. Access to the district was recognized as needed Fairbanks: November 16 in ANILCA, which directed the U.S. Departments of Interior Wiseman: November 17 and Transportation to select a corridor through Gates of the Anchorage: November 20 Arctic National Preserve for a road from the Dalton Highway Kobuk: December 4 to the district. Ambler: December 5 Kotzebue: December 6 AIDEA, as the state’s development finance authority, has Shungnak: December 7 experience working with the State of Alaska and private Evansville: December 12 industry to develop needed infrastructure to support Bettles: December 12 industrial and economic development. AIDEA worked with the State of Alaska, federal agencies, industry4. National Park Service (NPS) and landowners to construct the DeLong Mountain is preparing ANILCA Transportation System (DMTS), a port and road system 201(4)(d) the Environmental supporting Red Dog Mine in northwest Alaska. The mine and Economic Analysis (EEA). has created jobs and provided revenues to the Northwest Arctic Borough (NWAB) and NANA shareholders. DMTS was primarily funded by issuing bonds to finance the project. The Ambler Project will have a similar financing structure, and could provide similar benefits to communities in the area by creating jobs and providing revenues.

AMBLER MINING DISTRICT INPROJECT BENEFITS ROAD CONSTRUCTION AND MINES (4 MINES) OPERATIONS JOBS CONSTRUCTIONAn annual average of 486 jobs over the road 5,933 direct jobs over two years for mineconstruction period. construction with $457.4 million in wages.Up to 68 full-time jobs annually for road 9,278 direct, indirect, and induced jobs withoperations and maintenance. $642.6 million in wages.Based on Ambler Mining Region Economic Impact Analysis done by Cardno January 16, 2015

Alaska Industrial Development & Export AuthorityNDUSTRIAL ACCESS PROJECT MINING (4 MINES) GOVERNMENT REVENUES OPERATIONS (4 MINES) TOTAL1,534 direct jobs with $164.2 million in $261 million in mining license tax revenues towages annually. the State.3,186 direct, indirect, and induced jobs with $357 million in corporate income taxes to$324.7 million in wages annually. the State. $78 million in production royalties to the State. $6.5 million (annually) Payment in Lieu of Taxes to the NWAB per mine.

Alaska Industrial Development & Export AuthorityFREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONSWhat is the Ambler Road Project? and fishing. Road crossings would be provides high-paying jobs in the state,The Ambler Road Project proposes to designed in cooperation with these with the estimated average annual wageconstruct a limited-access industrial communities to allow them to safely over $100,000. Mining companies spentroad from the Dalton Highway to the cross the road where needed. more than $65 million on exploration inAmbler Mining District. The Ambler 2015 and more than $3.4 billion sinceMining District has been explored for Who would enforce hunting and fishing 1981. Another $120 million was spentmany decades and is rich in mineral regulations along the road? on mine development in 2016. Miningresources (see map inside). The road to The Alaska Department of Fish and Game supports 4,350 direct jobs in Alaskathe Ambler Mining District was identified has authority to enforce hunting and and 8,600 when you consider directand provided for in ANILCA. fishing regulations along the majority of and indirect jobs. Mines also paid $23The construction cost of the access road the route. In addition, AIDEA will prohibit million to local governments in 2016.depends on the phase of the road. A commercial road users from hunting and Red Dog Mine is the largest taxpayer insingle-lane pioneer road that is usable for fishing along the road and implement the NWAB, and mines are the largestseveral months per year is estimated to procedures for reporting any traffic on property taxpayers in the Fairbanks Northcost $280 million to construct, whereas the road that is not permitted. There will Star Borough and the City and Borougha two-lane, year-round road is estimated be security operations that will setup of Juneau. Mining also paid $81 millionto cost $380 million. Road maintenance gates and checkpoints, and monitor to the State in 2016 and $111 million toand operations are estimated at $8-10 compliance with “rules of the road.” Alaska Native corporations.*million per year. What benefits could there be for local Has AIDEA reached out to the public?Why is AIDEA managing this project? residents? Could they get jobs? Could it AIDEA, and before it the AlaskaAIDEA’s mission is to grow and diversify reduce costs? Department of Transportation and Publicthe economy to create jobs and economic There are a number of potential benefits Facilities (DOT&PF), has held over 30opportunities, and reduce unemployment. for local residents. Hundreds of jobs community meetings in the Upper Kobuk,AIDEA has a successful history of working would be created from road construction, the Upper Koyukuk region, and otherwith the State and industry to provide maintenance, and operations, including areas. AIDEA has also participated inneeded infrastructure for economic security operations to man camps and regional subsistence advisory meetingsdevelopment. The DMTS that supports checkpoints, and monitoring compliance and other events to share informationRed Dog Mine in northwest Alaska is an on the restrictions on road use. Other and gather feedback from the public,example of AIDEA’s experience. residents may get jobs on mine and particularly regional communities. exploration, development, or operations Public input shifted the project from aWould there be public access on projects. Some residents may use this as public road (DOT&PF) to an industrialthe road? Could the public use it for an opportunity to build their own freight road (AIDEA), and resulted in changes tohunting and fishing? or transportation businesses. Although the alignment. AIDEA expects to continueThe Right of Way permit for which AIDEA AIDEA would not construct spur roads, to work with interested parties to develophas applied is a limited access, non- local communities could decide to measures to minimize project impactspublic industrial road. Access will be construct roads to staging areas adjacent and increase project benefits.limited to commercial transportation to the access road. Local communitiesand drivers with Commercial Driver’s or entrepreneurs could hire commercial What type of impacts would the roadLicenses, insurance, and other freight companies to haul freight to the have on the environment?credentials. Restricting public access staging areas, where it could be picked Road construction generally includesincreases traffic safety on the road and up and transported to rural communities. removal of vegetation, surface grading,road users would not be allowed to use This could reduce the cost of living in excavation of high areas and fill in lowthe road for hunting and fishing. There some communities by reducing the cost areas, and compaction of gravel. Thewill be no public access to the road for of fuel, food, and other goods. Finally, BLM’s EIS will evaluate the potentialhunting and fishing. Native landowners would have the environmental impacts of the road. potential to gain land lease payments orWould local communities be able to gravel extraction revenues associated What is the timeline for the project?use the road for subsistence hunting with the project. The EIS on the project is expected to beand fishing? complete by December 30, 2019, with aAIDEA will work with local communities in Why is mining important to Alaska? Record of Decision by January 30, 2020.the vicinity of the road to ensure that the The mining industry has a long history asroad does not impact subsistence hunting a major part of Alaska’s economy. Mining*(data from The Economic Benefits of Alaska’s Mining Industry, January 2017)