Alaska Community Split On Plan To Create A Gold Mine In The Middle Of A National Park

An Alaskan community is divided connected a scheme to create a gold mine successful nan mediate of a national park amid biology concerns.

The national authorities granted Alaska Native-owned Cook Inlet Region Inc. nan authorities to Johnson Tract, a astir 21,000-acre spot surrounded by Lake Clark National Park, successful nan 1970s arsenic portion of a onshore speech agreement. Mining institution Contango Silver & Gold now has a lease statement pinch Cook Inlet Region and plans to create a excavation connected nan mineral-rich Johnson Tract.

While opponents of nan task person voiced concerns complete nan imaginable effects connected beluga whales and brownish bears successful nan region, supporters opportunity nan biology impacts will beryllium minimal, and it would beryllium an economical boost for section tribes.

Contango plans to vessel ore mined astatine Johnson Tract to an existing mill facility, alternatively of processing nan materials there. This would lessen nan company’s biology footprint successful nan area, but according to The Wall Street Journal, local business owners interest transporting ore done nan parkland will scare disconnected nan brown bears that visitors travel to see.

“Over many, galore years, they started bringing their cubs into nan yard, and past they started nursing successful beforehand of us,” Joanne Edney-Coray, who runs nan Silver Salmon Creek Lodge pinch her husband, told nan publication. “It tin beryllium ruined successful an instant pinch teams of group connected mining trucks.”

Environmental groups and nan Chickaloon tribal assembly revenge a suit past twelvemonth against nan U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, arguing that it violated nan Clean Water Act by granting a licence for nan Johnson Tract project.

The Army Corps did not guarantee endangered Cook Inlet belugas are protected from h2o and sound contamination aliases thoroughly measure nan project’s imaginable to origin acerb excavation drainage and leach contaminants into nan adjacent Johnson River, nan Center for Biological Diversity, 1 of nan plaintiffs successful nan lawsuit, alleged successful a May 2025 press release.

When The Independent reached retired to nan Army Corps of Engineers, it said it “does not remark connected matters successful litigation,” and referred to nan Justice Department.

Contango CEO Rick Van Nieuwenhuyse based on that his institution is “not ruining a park.”

“We’re going to do everything successful a measurement that is really minimizing immoderate of nan impacts,” he told nan Journal.

The Journal noted that Contango is performing a baseline wildlife survey, which includes monitoring nan belugas to measure wherever they swim.

Greg Encelewski, nan president of nan section Ninilchik Traditional Council, besides pointed retired nan imaginable economical benefits of nan mining project.

“Our tribes are trying to go self-sufficient, and without immoderate type of economical motor we’re not going to,” he told nan Journal.

The Independent has reached retired to Contango, Cook Inlet Region and nan Justice Department for comment.