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

The US Department of the Interior has announced plans to transfer approximately 1.4 million acres of national public lands within Alaska’s Dalton Utility Corridor to the State of Alaska. This move follows a previous decision under the Trump administration that removed protections from over two million acres north of the Yukon River, opening them up to mining and drilling activities. The corridor includes critical infrastructure such as parts of the Trans-Alaska Pipeline System and the Dalton Highway, as well as proposed routes for projects like the Ambler mining road and the Alaska LNG initiative. The transfer effectively places control of these lands in the hands of the Alaskan state government, which has advocated for expanded industrial development in the region. Environmental groups, particularly the Sierra Club, have strongly criticised the decision, warning of severe ecological and cultural consequences. Dan Ritzman, Director of Conservation at the Sierra Club, condemned the move as a giveaway to corporate polluters that threatens to transform Alaska’s wild landscapes into industrial zones. He emphasised that the decision disregards the voices of local communities and Indigenous tribes who rely on these lands for their subsistence and cultural identity. Ritzman highlighted the irreversible harm that projects like the Ambler Road and Alaska LNG could inflict on wildlife and ecosystems that have been preserved for generations. Andrea Feniger, the Sierra Club’s Alaska Chapter Director, echoed these concerns, framing the transfer not as a benefit to Alaskans but as a concession to out-of-state corporations seeking to bypass federal environmental safeguards. She criticised Governor Mike Dunleavy for prioritising fossil fuel interests over the welfare of local residents and the long-term health of Alaska’s natural environment. Feniger warned that unchecked industrial development would cause lasting damage to the state’s unique wild places and subsistence traditions, calling for leadership that protects these lands for future generations rather than handing them over to extractive industries. The Sierra Club has pledged to continue its legal opposition to the land transfer and any further attempts to undermine protections for Alaska’s public lands. As America’s largest grassroots environmental organisation, the Sierra Club remains committed to defending natural habitats, promoting clean energy, and safeguarding the rights of communities dependent on these landscapes. The controversy underscores ongoing tensions between conservation efforts and resource extraction ambitions in one of the country’s last largely untouched wilderness areas.