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TRUSTEES FOR THE PARKS NEWSLETTER NEWSLETTERSUMMER/FALL SUMMER 2020 2018 BLACK CANYON OF THE GUNNISON NATIONAL PARK (CO) Dalton Highway , AK © Paul Seibert THE WESTERN ARCTIC CARIBOU ON THE ROAD CARIBOU HERD IS THREATENED BY A TO RUIN? PROPOSED MINING ROAD Not on your watch THAT WOULD rom time immemorial, caribou public lands, including portions of CUT THROUGH A VAST have migrated across the Alaska Gates of the Arctic National Park and Ftundra and played a critical Preserve. Nearly 3,000 rivers and SWATH OF THE HERD’S role in the Arctic ecosystem as well as streams would be disturbed by the the lives of Alaska Native people. The road, which would act like a dam for MIGRATION RANGE. hardy and graceful animals transport thousands of acres of tundra wetlands. nutrients across the tundra while The road would expose one of the providing the people of the region world’s last wild and intact landscapes with meat for sustenance and skins for to industrial exploitation. warmth. NPCA has led opposition to the Ambler The Western Arctic Caribou Herd’s mining road since it was initially very survival, however, is threatened proposed more than six years ago. Our by a proposed mining road that would fight to save caribou and other Alaskan cut through a vast swath of the herd’s wildlife important to Alaska Native migration range. The Ambler mining communities reached a turning point road would stretch for 211 miles across continued on page 2 n GREAT VICTORY FOR NATIONAL PARKS INSIDE: n PRESERVING HISPANIC-AMERICAN HISTORY n TRUSTEE SPOTLIGHT ©deposit NPS Matt photos Cameron Caribou cross the Kobuk River at Kobuk Valley National Park twice each year — north every spring and south every fall. © NPS/Matt Cameron earlier this year with two alarming foreign mining companies access to have shown caribou avoid developments. virtually untouched wilderness. “The roads and industrial traffic. Ambler mining road is a terrible idea As the animals divert from Simultaneous Permit and for many reasons. But redirecting traditional migration routes, Money Grabs public funds to pay for it while local they could move farther and people and businesses struggle farther away from villagers On March 27, federal agencies to survive a global health crisis is who depend on them. responsible for protecting public outrageous.” lands — including the National • Although paid for with Park Service and Bureau of Land Here are just a few of the many public funds and running Management — released a flawed reasons this proposed mining road through public lands, the Environment Impact Statement for is harmful: road would not be available the mining road. On the same day, for public use. Only foreign the Alaska Industrial Development • One of Earth’s largest mining companies could use and Export Authority used an and longest migrations the road to bring trucks and emergency meeting meant to provide would be threatened. The heavy equipment in and bring economic relief to businesses during 250,000-strong Western Arctic minerals including copper the COVID-19 pandemic to instead Caribou Herd migrates 2,700 and zinc out to be sold for divert $35 million in state funds to miles each year — equivalent to private profit. support construction of the road. walking from Seattle to Miami. • More than a dozen open NPCA Alaska Program Manager, Alex • The road would stretch pit mines could operate for Johnson, was among more than 100 east-west, blocking the more than 100 years. Some people who spoke out against this north-south migration of these mines surrounded by pandemic profiteering that would give route of caribou. Studies parkland on three sides could Caribou on the Road to Ruin? continued from page 1 be operating well into the 22nd century. In the time it takes to remove all the minerals, caribou populations could very well be decimated and Alaska Native communities could be lost forever. Not So Fast Although mining company executives and their political allies want to plow ahead with what many Alaskans refer to as a “Road to Ruin,” NPCA continues to stand strong against this expensive, unnecessary and damaging construction project. © Joshanon1/Dreamstime.com Our Alaska team is partnering with members of Alaska Native Gates of the Arctic National Park communities and local conservation and Preserve in Alaska. Photo groups to strengthen grassroots at right shows the river and opposition. NPCA members across the country are also speaking up for landscape in the approximate the wildlife of Alaska and against location of the proposed road carving a road through spectacular corridor. public lands that may be out of sight for most of us but never far from our adequately account for the disastrous conservation-minded consciousness. impacts to the people, parks and wildlife of the region from a century In addition, in August, NPCA brought of industrial mining. a lawsuit against the Bureau of Land Management, the US Army Visit npca.org/Ambler for the latest Corps, and the National Park on our litigation and advocacy Service, pointing to key substantive strategies to prevent caribou and and procedural failings of the other wildlife from being put on a environmental review that did not road to ruin. N 0 25 mi NOATAK NATIONAL 11 Anaktuvuk PRESERVE Pass Red Dog B r o o k s R a n g e Mine Trans- atak GATES OF THE ARCTIC Chukchi No River Alaska NATIONAL PARK Pipeline Sea A la Ambler tn KOBUK VALLEY Nuna a Mining Proposed River Kobuk Wild R Barrow i NATIONAL PARK District v Ambler Mining and Scenic e Ambler River r Road Pipeline Haul r Onion ive Kobuk Road k R Portage Kotzebue obu Bettles/Evansville (Dalton Hwy) Nome K Shungnak r Fairbanks e SELAWIK v i ALASKA R NATIONAL WILDLIFE Alatna Arctic Circle GATES OF THE ARCTIC k Allakaket yuku Anchorage REFUGE NATIONAL PRESERVE Ko 240 miles to Fairbanks President’s Perspective t is with such pride and gratitude that I share with of a global pandemic, the you that together we have achieved the largest administration continues Ipark victory in decades. Congress passed, and to advance policies that the president has signed into law, the Great American undermine and attack the Outdoors Act. This legislation represents an historic laws that protect our public victory for parks and will authorize billions of dollars lands and the irreplaceable to fund critical maintenance projects and conserve resources they protect. vulnerable lands, while also fully finding the Land and Water Conservation Fund. The bipartisan support of As you will read in our the Great American Outdoors Act is the culmination of cover story, the state of two decades of work, thousands of emails and phone Alaska is pushing forward calls, hundreds of trips to Capitol Hill offices and a with permitting for a private industrial mining access shared love for America’s heritage. road through Gates of the Arctic National Preserve in Alaska, and the administration is paving the way. In addition to addressing some of the highest priority This is just one important example of why we need park repairs needed across the system, from bridges you at our side, now more than ever, to pressure the and visitor centers to water systems and trails, this bill administration and Congress to put a stop to these will generate 100,000 infrastructure-related jobs. attacks on our beloved public lands and national parks. A victory like this wouldn’t have happened without As a Trustee for the Parks, your leadership in our work all of your work and support. Indeed, it takes all of makes me confident that together we will continue us — advocates, business owners, financial supporters, to be successful in defending our national parks and lawmakers and Trustees for the Parks like you — leaving a lasting legacy for generations to come. coming together to achieve this kind of incredible victory for our parks and all who visit them. With gratitude, And while we celebrate this victory, we know our work together is far from finished. Even in the midst Theresa Pierno President & CEO JOIN US FOR PARK TALKS PCA is proud to bring you a collection of virtual Park Talks. These live presentations provide an opportunity Nto hear from NPCA staff, park experts and partners about some of the park stories, victories, and threats we most want to share. Past Park Talks have included: Bears Ears National Monument (UT) • Let It Not Happen Again: Lessons from the © BLM Japanese American Exclusion • Bears Ears to Hovenweep: Conserving a Connected Cultural Landscape • Searching for the Ghost Bear in the North Cascades • Moosewatch Expedition: Stories from Isle Royale • Julius Rosenwald: The Most Important Donor You’ve Never Heard Of Isle Royale National Park (MI) You can find upcoming Park Talks and recordings of previous © NPS/Kaitlyn Knick talks on our website at www.npca.org/parktalks Arches National Park (UT) © Lunamarina Dreamstime.com GREAT VICTORY FOR NATIONAL PARKS t a time when politicians in Washington, DC seem step towards ensuring safe and enjoyable park experiences unable to agree on much, NPCA members and for all visitors. Aactivists have bridged partisan divides to score a huge win for America’s national parks. Passage of the Great We are also celebrating a provision of the new law which American Outdoors Act, supported by bipartisan majorities achieves another NPCA priority goal — securing long term in both houses of Congress, provides long-overdue funding for the Land and Water Conservation Fund. investments in our parks and full funding of the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LCWF). LWCF is one of America’s most important conservation programs as it is responsible for protecting parks, wildlife National parks are facing nearly $12 billion in backlogged refuges and recreation areas at the federal, state and local repairs.

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