Utoo Radio with Other News Sources - February 6 2025 - President Donald Trump's executive order has sparked debate over Alaska's future, focusing on developing the state's energy and mineral resources.

The order includes reviewing the Ambler Road project, a proposed industrial route across northwest Alaska, to explore the potential for mining minerals like copper and cobalt.

Environmentalists and Indigenous Alaskans have warned of the negative impact on the state's wilderness, wildlife, and local subsistence lifestyles.

Alaska is home to 49 of 50 critical minerals, which are used in renewable energy technologies and military equipment.

The US relies on global supply chains for these minerals, and bipartisan efforts have been made to develop the supply in the US, particularly to move away from supply chains based in the Democratic Republic of Congo and processing plants in China.

The Ambler district in northern Alaska, which has yet to be mined, is being developed by Ambler Metals, a mining company jointly owned by Trilogy Metals and South32.

The road, which would create nearly 50 bridges and other infrastructure, is expected to negatively impact the migration pattern of caribou in northwest Alaska.

The project, supported by the Alaska Industrial Development and Export Authority, is expected to create new jobs and protect the culture and subsistence lifestyles of the region's Indigenous communities.