Interior Secretary Alaska Visit Met With Ambler Road Project Protest

Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum visited Alaska today and talked about the proposed and highly opposed Ambler Road project that could affect fish and wildlife habitat around the Brooks Range.

Here’s reaction from Defend the Brooks Range:

May 18, 2026

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Alaskans and Tribal Leaders Protest Ambler Road Celebration in Coldfoot

COLDFOOT, Alaska — More than 25 Alaska residents and advocates gathered at the Coldfoot
airstrip on May 16 to oppose a visit by Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, Congressman Nick
Begich, and Governor Mike Dunleavy, who traveled to the region to celebrate federal permitting
efforts related to the proposed Ambler industrial road project.
After landing in Coldfoot, Burgum, Begich, and Dunleavy traveled to Mile 161 of the Dalton
Highway — the proposed starting point, or Mile 0, of the Ambler industrial road project — where
they posed for photos in front of Department of Transportation signs thanking President Donald
Trump for advancing the project.
As the officials arrived in Coldfoot, local business owners, tribal residents and community
members met the plane carrying signs opposing the industrial mining road and calling attention
to widespread opposition across Alaska. One fuel tanker parked near the airstrip displayed a
banner reading: “Burgum’s Corporate Welfare is Bankrupting Alaska.”
Opponents described the Ambler road proposal as a costly boondoggle project driven by
corporate mining interests and enabled through irresponsible spending by the Alaska Industrial
Development and Export Authority (AIDEA). Protesters said the visit underscored growing
frustration with elected officials prioritizing outside extractive industry interests over the voices of
Alaska Native communities, rural residents, and the broader public.
“I was proud to stand with local business owners, life long residents and tribal members in
defense of Alaska.” said John Gaedeke, owner of Iniauk Lake Wilderness Lodge. “It’s what
Alaskans do when life and land is threatened. Foreign mining companies stand only for profit.
They extract, then leave. Dunleavy, Begich and Burgum are trying to sell our future. Alaska
deserves better.”
Evansville Tribal Chief Frank Thompson reiterated the united opposition of Tribal governments
across the region:
“The Evansville Tribe and 87 other tribal governments have repeated our unified and
collective opposition to the proposed Ambler Road over and over. I will state our position
again. The Evansville Tribe is 100% against this proposed road to ruin. We know our traditional lifestyle will likely be destroyed severely impacting our watersheds, fisheries
habitat and subsistence and cultural resources.”

The proposed Ambler industrial corridor would stretch roughly 211 miles across remote
Northwest Alaska to support mining development in the Ambler Mining District. Opponents
argue the project would industrialize one of Alaska’s last intact wild landscapes while leaving
taxpayers to absorb the financial risks of speculative mining infrastructure. The strong turnout
demonstrated growing public resistance to fast-track the project despite years of Tribal
opposition and Alaska resident concern.

Advocates say they will continue organizing alongside Tribal governments, conservation groups,
hunters, and rural residents to oppose the Ambler Road proposal and defend the Western Arctic
and Brooks Range region from industrial expansion and wasted state and federal spending.

Here are some more photos from the protesting of the Secretary’s visit today: