The U.S. Department of the Interior announced yesterday that it had finalized the transfer of nearly 28,000 acres of federal land in the Northwest Arctic to NANA Regional Corporation. The land is on the western end of the corridor for the Ambler Road, a proposed 200-mile road branching from the Dalton Highway to connect to a mining region south of the Brooks Range.
In a press release from the department, Interior Secretary Doug Burgum called the transfer a clear example of the Trump administration delivering on its promises. Burgum said the move cuts federal red tape, reduces barriers to resource development and puts land into Alaska Native hands.
The agency said the transfer supports longstanding Alaska Native land claims and an executive order from President Donald Trump in January that aims to “unleash Alaska’s extraordinary resource potential.”
NANA withdrew from the Ambler Road Project in May 2024, citing issues with the Alaska Industrial Development and Export Authority and the Bureau of Land Management.
NANA did not immediately respond to questions about the road project, nor did it address the Ambler Road in a written statement from CEO and President John Lincoln. Lincoln said the corporation was pleased with the land transfer. He said it’s the first to an Alaska Native corporation under a law passed over two decades ago called the Alaska Land Transfer Acceleration Act.
Lincoln also said the conveyed lands were selections made years ago by elders and past leadership, and the corporation was “looking forward to working closely with the federal government on conveyance of the remaining 100,000 + acres of selected land and other issues of great importance to the state and federal government.”
Opponents of the Ambler Road say the project will irrevocably harm the region’s environment, natural resources and culture. Supporters say the road will bring jobs and economic growth to the region.
