“Brooks Range rivers are beautiful, wild, and there are few other places like them in the world,” said fly fishing guide Greg Halbach of Remote Waters in Anchorage, Alaska. (Aaron Hitchins photo)
April 19, 2024
By Fly Fisherman Staff
The final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS) on the Ambler Industrial Road proposal in Alaska's Brooks Range released by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) suggests the agency leans toward denying a permit for the road later in 2024. After reviewing the potential consequences for wildlife, subsistence hunting and fishing, and outdoor recreation, the BLM indicated a preference for the "No Action" option in the SEIS.
“Today’s announcement is a big step toward an enormous conservation win for all Americans who value the unbroken landscapes, exceptional habitat, and opportunities for solitude in this awe-inspiring region,” said Lewis Pagel, owner of Arctic Fishing Adventures in Kotzebue, Alaska, in a press release from the Hunters & Anglers for the Brooks Range .
Conservation groups that represent anglers like the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership see this as a win for those who opposed the road. They credit residents, Alaska Native Tribes, and sportsmen and sportswomen across the country for swaying public opinion. The controversial development has been in the spotlight for its potential impact on the pristine wilderness.
The proposed 211-mile Ambler Road would cut through caribou calving grounds and disrupted fish migration routes in major rivers. Businesses catering to outdoor enthusiasts, like fly-fishing guides, expressed concern about the project's impact on the remote wilderness experience.
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“Brooks Range rivers are beautiful, wild, and there are few other places like them in the world,” fly fishing guide Greg Halbach of Remote Waters in Anchorage, Alaska, said in the press release. Halbach’s small operation offers guided wilderness floats on the Kobuk River, one of the only places in North America to target sheefish—also known as “tarpon of the north.”
Remote Waters guide and owner Greg Halbach holds a sheefish from the Brooks Range with his client Frank Brummer. Sheefish, the largest member of the whitefish family, are in danger of losing important spawning habitat if culverts are built for the Ambler Road. As broadcast spawners, they migrate and join together in their spawn. Culverts and river crossings may impede sheefish from congregating, especially along the Kobuk River. (Photo courtesy of Remote Waters) The road faced strong opposition from the fly-fishing community. A coalition of Alaskan businesses and conservation organizations called Hunters & Anglers for the Brooks Range collected nearly 10,000 letters urging the BLM to deny the permit.
“By selecting the ‘No Action’ alternative in this final environmental review, the BLM is acknowledging that the risks of the proposed Ambler Road far outweigh the rewards,” said Jen Leahy, Alaska senior program manager for the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership.
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Patagonia also voiced strong opposition to the Ambler Road with its "Alaska Needs You" campaign , which "joined a broad coalition of voices demanding protections for Alaskan public lands threatened by new fossil fuel and mining projects."
Rather than ask consumers to buy Patagonia gear this holiday season, the outdoors gear manufacturer and retailer is asking supporters to speak up in support of protecting three at-risk areas in northern Alaska: The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, the National Petroleum Reserve-Area, and the Brooks Range. (Graphic courtesy Patagonia) While the "No Action" preference is a positive step, conservation groups remain vigilant.
“While the BLM’s ‘No Action’ finding is a cause for celebration, our most important work is still ahead,” added Leahy. “Until the agency issues a final decision, hunters and anglers will remain engaged to help ensure a positive outcome and defend the Brooks Range from future threats.”
Click here to sign a petition voicing your opposition to the Ambler Road project.
