Interior Rejects Alaska Mine Road, Protects 28 Million Acres (1)

The Interior Department on Friday moved to prevent mining across Alaska by blocking a road to the copper-rich Ambler Mining District and protecting 28 million acres of federal land statewide from minerals development.

Ambler Road, a proposed 211-mile mining road across Alaska’s Brooks Range, was formally rejected by the Bureau of Land Management, setting up an expected legal clash with the state.

“Litigation is inevitable,” said Josie Wilson, spokeswoman for the Alaska Industrial Development and Export Authority (AIDEA), the road’s chief proponent.

The Interior Department also took a step toward blocking mining and other development on 28 million acres ...