Kobuk River
If we build this road there will be no end to mining, only an end to our culture.
Shield Downey, former First Chief of Ivisaappaat (Ambler) Tribal Council
Most endangered rivers
Threat: Mining, Development, Climate Change
The free-flowing Kobuk River lies north of the Arctic Circle in Alaska, at the northern edge of the boreal forest that flanks the Brooks Range. The river meanders through homelands of the Indigenous Iñupiat who continue to live from their ancestral lands as they have for millennia. The river’s abundant fish and wildlife provide spiritual, cultural, and nutritional sustenance to the Iñupiat communities. With no road connections or industrial development, the river offers a rare glimpse into an almost primordial North American landscape. The proposed Ambler Road and associated mining development would cause irreparable harm to the Kobuk’s water quality and fish and wildlife, threatening communities all along the river. The Biden Administration must revoke all permits allowing construction of the road.
American Rivers appreciates the collaboration and efforts of our partners:
- Protect the Kobuk
- Northern Alaska Environmental Center
- National Parks Conservation Association
- Tanana Chiefs Conference
- Native Movement
Protect the Kobuk River
Tell the Biden Administration that they must revoke permits for the construction of Ambler Road now!