The Biden administration recently announced a move to preserve expanses of land in Alaska previously targeted for road construction and mining development and assure protections for "fish and wildlife habitats that are important to native communities' way of life" in the area, Reuters reported.
Two measures from the federal Bureau of Land Management focus on 28 million acres of the 49th state, and particularly land in the Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve, which would be crossed by the proposed 211-mile road project from Arctic mining company Ambler Metals.
The project, known as Ambler Road, planned to expand mining in a previously inaccessible region, The Wilderness Society noted, which "would have allowed environmentally destructive development and threatened subsistence resources for the region's remote communities."
It's a stark contrast from a decision by the Trump administration that had removed the area's conservation status, Reuters stated, adding that when environmental analysts from the Department of the Interior considered the possible impact of development on the region's population and food supply, they concluded it "would harm subsistence hunting and fishing in up to 117 native communities."
Many members of Native communities voraciously opposed the Ambler Road. "The Ambler Road will pierce the heart of the … lands that our people have depended on for thousands of years," the Alaska Native tribal consortium Tanana Chiefs Conference said.
The measures come on the heels of other recent calls from the Biden administration that support the conservation of natural resources in the Arctic, including, per the BLM, "ensuring the entire United States Arctic Ocean is off limits to new oil and gas leasing" and protecting habitats and migratory patterns for wildlife such as caribou, polar bears, and birds.
"Alaska's majestic and rugged lands and waters are among the most remarkable and healthy landscapes in the world," a statement from President Joe Biden reads. "These natural wonders demand our protection."
The analysis is promising but not final. The Department of the Interior won't release a final decision for weeks, The Washington Post reported June 28.
Brimming with hopeful energy? Let it power one action today to protect precious wildlife and resources. Read up on climate news, explore a clean energy swap, support eco-friendly brand choices and pro-climate political candidates, and plan sustainable travel. Stunning natural landscapes await.
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