Oppose Alaska Public Land Sell-Off and Ambler Road Project

I am writing to urge you to take immediate action to stop the sale of 2.1 million acres of federal public lands in Alaska. On February 20, Secretary Burgum revoked Public Land Orders 5150 and 5180, protections that have safeguarded this corridor for fifty years. This land, equivalent in size to Yellowstone National Park, stretches 244 miles between Gates of the Arctic National Park and the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. This transfer sets a dangerous precedent for public lands nationwide. Public Land Orders protect federal lands across the entire West, and any could now be revoked using this same mechanism under the Federal Land Policy and Management Act. Once land transfers to state control, federal environmental protections, public oversight, and citizen input disappear entirely. Environmental reviews and management plans are no longer required. The ecological consequences are severe. This corridor serves as the migration route for the Western Arctic Caribou Herd, one of the last great land migrations on Earth. The area supports over 200 species of migratory birds from six continents, along with salmon runs, grizzlies, wolves, Dall sheep, and other wildlife. Alaska Native communities have depended on these subsistence hunting grounds for thousands of years. This land transfer clears the path for the Ambler Road, a proposed 211-mile industrial highway through the Brooks Range that would cross nearly 3,000 rivers and streams. The BLM denied this road in 2024 due to environmental damage concerns. The primary beneficiaries are Trilogy Metals, headquartered in Vancouver, Canada, and its partner South32, an Australian mining conglomerate. When Ambler Road permits were reinstated, Trilogy's stock surged over 200 percent in a single day. American taxpayers spent $35.6 million for the Pentagon to buy a 10 percent stake in this foreign-controlled company. I oppose this speculative project that benefits foreign mining interests at the expense of American public lands, wildlife, and the communities that depend on them. Congress must act to halt this transfer and protect these lands for future generations.