Trump Signs Order to Approve 211-Mile Mining Road in Alaska

Interior Secretary Doug Burgum said the mining road will allow access to critical minerals the U.S. needs ‘to win the AI arms race against China.’

Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve. Courtesy of National Park Service

President Donald Trump issued a presidential memo on Oct. 6 ordering the approval of a proposed 211-mile industrial road in Alaska to allow access to copper and cobalt minerals.

Trump had initially approved the Ambler Road project during his first term, but the Biden administration blocked it after taking office, citing the need to protect “a pristine area that Alaska Native communities rely on.”