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Public Meetings Slated for Draft Analyses of Two Proposals: Willow Development Plan & Ambler ‘Road to Resources’

Organization:

Bureau of Land Management

BLM Office:

Alaska State Office

Media Contact:

Lesli Ellis-Wouters
907-271-4418

ANCHORAGE — The Bureau of Land Management is seeking feedback through public meetings and comments on the proposed Willow Master Development Plan and Ambler Mining District Industrial Access Road Draft Environmental Impact Statements (EISs), both of which the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) made available for public review and comment Aug. 23, 2019, and published in the Federal Register today.

Members of the public are encouraged to participate in the environmental review process by attending one of the meetings or submitting comments on the draft analyses for the BLM to consider in preparing the final analyses. Feedback on Draft EIS alternatives will inform Final EIS’s and the records of decision.

Comments on the Draft analyses will be accepted through Oct. 15, 2019, and should be specific to the document itself, referencing sections or pages, and include specific details regarding issues or concerns that also provide rationale for the concern or suggestion. 

The BLM may hold additional public meetings in other communities if there is strong community interest. Schedule updates will be available via the “public meetings” links below for each project and announced via BLM Alaska press releases and social media channels.

Proposed Willow Master Development Plan (MDP) Draft EIS

The following Willow MDP Draft EIS public meetings are scheduled:

  • Sept. 9, 2019 | Fairbanks, AK, 6-8 p.m. at the Westmark Hotel Fairbanks
  • Sept. 10, 2019  | Anaktuvuk Pass, AK, 6-8 p.m. at the Anaktuvuk Pass Community Center
  • Sept. 12, 2019  | Anchorage, AK, 6-8 p.m. at the Crowne Plaza Hotel-Midtown
  • Sept. 18, 2019  | Utqiaġvik, AK, 6-8 p.m. at the Inupiat Heritage Center
  • Sept. 19, 2019  | Atqasuk, AK, 6:30-8:30 p.m. at the Atqasuk Community Center
  • TBD  | Nuiqsut, AK

Those unable to attend one of the meetings are encouraged to review and comment on the Draft EIS via BLM’s project website at http://www.blm.gov/alaska/WillowEIS. Willow MDP comments can be submitted by any of the following methods through Oct. 15, 2019:

Proposed Ambler Mining District Industrial Access Road (Ambler Road)

The following Ambler Road Draft EIS public meetings are scheduled:

  • Sept. 10, 2019 | Anchorage, AK, 6-8 p.m. at the Dena'ina Civic and Convention Center
  • Sept. 12, 2019 | Washington D.C., 5-7 p.m. at the Capitol Skyline Hotel
  • Sept. 16, 2019 | Kotzebue, AK, 4-6 p.m. at the Northwest Arctic Borough Chambers
  • Sept. 17, 2019 | Ambler, AK, 4-6 p.m. at the School Multipurpose Room
  • Sept. 18, 2019 | Kobuk, AK, 4-6 p.m. at the School Gym
  • Sept. 19, 2019 | Shungnak, AK, 1-3 p.m. at the Community Building
  • Sept. 20, 2019 | Noorvik, AK, 3-5 p.m. at the School
  • Sept. 23, 2019 | Fairbanks, AK, 6-8:30 p.m. at the Wedgewood Resort Borealis Ballroom
  • Sept. 24, 2019 | Huslia, AK, 5-7 p.m. at the Community Hall
  • Sept. 25, 2019 | Hughes, AK, 2-4 p.m. at the Community Hall
  • Sept. 26, 2019 | Tanana, AK, 4-6 p.m. at the Community Hall
  • Sept. 27, 2019 | Bettles/Evansville, AK, 4:30-6:30 p.m. at the Evansville Community Hall
  • Sept. 30, 2019 | Stevens Village, AK, noon-2 p.m. at the Tribal Hall
  • Oct. 1, 2019 | Allakaket, AK, 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. at the Community Hall
  • Oct. 1, 2019 | Alatna, AK, 3:30-5 p.m. at the Tribal Office
  • Oct. 2, 2019 | Anaktuvuk Pass, AK, 4-6 p.m. at the Community Hall
  • Oct. 3, 2019 | Coldfoot/Wiseman, AK, 4-6 p.m. at the Wiseman Community Center
  • Oct. 4, 2019 | Western Arctic Caribou Herd Communities Teleconference 2-4 p.m.*
    *Contact Sasha Prewitt at sprewitt@blm.gov or 907-644-2061 to ensure sufficient conference line capacity.
  • Oct. 8, 2019 | Noatak, AK, 6-8 p.m. at the IRA Building
  • Oct. 9, 2019 | Selawik, AK, 6-8 p.m. at the Community Building
  • Oct. 10, 2019 | Kiana, AK, 6-8 p.m. at the Community Building
  • Oct. 11, 2019 | Buckland, AK, 6-8 p.m. at the Armory Building

Those unable to attend one of the meetings are encouraged to review and comment on the Ambler Road Draft EIS via BLM’s project website at https://www.blm.gov/AmblerRoadEIS, which includes a project area map and frequently asked questions. Ambler Road Draft EIS comments can be submitted by any of the following methods through Oct. 15, 2019:

The BLM manages more than 245 million acres of public land located primarily in 12 western states, including Alaska, on behalf of the American people. The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. Our mission is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of America’s public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations.