Preventing the destructive impacts of Mining

Mining represents one of the greatest threats facing Alaska's wilderness ecosystems and rural communities. Although the State has seen only a handful of large mines actually developed, more and larger mines are currently in the exploration stages. And the State's regulatory system is completely inadequate to ensure a thorough and fair review of proposed mines, effective monitoring of mine operations, or enforcement of environmental standards.

Trustees for Alaska is uniquely positioned to provide effective legal support to Native communities and conservation organizations throughout the State who face the destructive impacts mining poses to subsistence food-gathering, human health, wildlife habitats, subsistence and commercial fishing, and marine ecosystems. Our wide-ranging experience with the legal issues, coupled with our outreach into even the most remote communities, affords us the opportunity to bring innovative and effective advocacy strategies to bear on a wide array of mine proposals, including those that are potentially the most environmentally significant.