The mesmerizing Brooks Range of northern Alaska spans 700 miles through the heart of America’s Arctic and public lands in the Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve, Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, Kobuk Valley National Park, and Noatak National Preserve. Here, wetlands, boreal forests, and thousands of streams extend in every direction in a mosaic of vital habitats for birds, fish, and other wildlife. These lands are also vital for Iñupiaq and Athabascan Indigenous people who have inhabited them for thousands of years.
Willow Ptarmigan, Golden Eagle, Common Loon, Upland Sandpiper, Blackpoll Warblers, Olive-sided Flycatchers, and other feathered gems grace the Brooks Range. More than 15 bird species that rely on these boreal lands are already facing significant decline across their ranges. The region also includes salmon and sheefish spawning grounds and the Western Arctic Caribou Herd’s core range.
The western Brooks Range is threatened by the proposed Ambler Access Project—a private 211-mile industrial corridor connecting the Dalton Highway to multiple planned open-pit mines. The road would cut through lands administered by the Bureau of Land Management, State of Alaska, and 26 miles of the Gates of the Arctic National Park. If permitted, the road would affect nearly 3,000 rivers and streams, and some of the wildest lands remaining on Earth.
A new push for more oil and gas drilling, mining, and logging threatens irreparable damage to irreplaceable habitats.
A recap of a three-day gathering of community members, conservation and climate professionals, Indigenous leaders, and funders on Dena’ina lands.
There's a comment period happening for the proposed Ambler Road in the Brooks Range. Here's the who, what, when, where, why, water, wildlife, and Western Arctic Caribou.
