Sierra Club Statement on Interior’s Decision to Give Away 1.4 Million Acres of National Public Lands for Mining and Drilling Projects

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Department of the Interior announced today that it intends to transfer approximately 1.4 million acres of national public lands in Alaska’s Dalton Utility Corridor to the State of Alaska.

The transfer follows the Trump administration’s unlawful earlier decision to revoke protections on more than two million acres of public lands north of the Yukon River and open them to mining and drilling activity.

The corridor includes portions of the Trans-Alaska Pipeline System corridor, the Dalton Highway, and proposed routes for projects like the Ambler mining road and Alaska LNG project. The transfer hands over control of these lands to the Alaska state government, which has long pushed to expand industrial development across the region—which will destroy countless ecosystems, threaten Tribal communities, and scar highly treasured landscapes. This action also removes vital protections for subsistence users who depend on the area for their way of life.

In response, Dan Ritzman, Sierra Club’s Director of Conservation, released the following statement:

“This action will only help corporate polluters transform Alaska into an industrial wasteland—destroying irreplaceable landscapes for the sake of expanding the portfolios of mining and oil and gas companies that will never have to live with the consequences of this destruction. This decision completely ignores the wishes of local communities and Tribes that depend upon these untouched areas for their livelihoods, cultures, and regional identities.

“Alaska is home to some of the country’s last true wild places, and projects like Alaska LNG and the Ambler Road threaten irreversible damage to these precious landscapes, the wildlife that depend on them, and the communities that have stewarded them for generations. These lands belong to all Americans, not corporate special interests looking to exploit them for short-term profit. We are fighting this in court and will continue opposing any other attempts to sacrifice Alaska’s public lands for the benefit of polluters and extractive industries.”

Andrea Feniger, Sierra Club’s Alaska Chapter Director, released the following statement:

“This is less a transfer to Alaskans than a massive giveaway to out-of-state corporations that don’t want to be burdened by the federal protections that safeguard our lands, waters, wildlife, and communities. Governor Dunleavy has repeatedly shown he is more interested in helping the Trump administration and fossil fuel executives exploit Alaska than standing up for the people who actually live here.

“These companies will not be satisfied until every corner of our state is opened to industrial development and short-term profit, regardless of the permanent damage done to the wild places, subsistence traditions, and communities that make Alaska unique. Alaskans deserve leaders who will protect these lands for future generations, not politicians willing to hand them over to corporate polluters.”

About the Sierra Club

The Sierra Club is America’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with millions of members and supporters. In addition to protecting every person’s right to get outdoors and access the healing power of nature, the Sierra Club works to promote clean energy, safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and legal action. For more information, visit www.sierraclub.org.