Threat To Our Wild Lands Is Here

The Tangle Lakes country contains some of the most accessible wild lands in Alaska. Located in the southern foothills of the Alaska Range at the eastern end of the Denali Highway, it features wide, open tundra meadows, gentle ridges, clear lakes, and the upper portion of the Delta Wild and Scenic River system. It is home for moose, fox, bears, ptarmigan, and grayling; seasonal habitat for caribou and migratory birds, and a favorite destination for Alaskans and visitors. Hiking, hunting, paddling, fishing, berry-picking, sight-seeing, birding, dog mushing, and snowmachining are just some of the ways people enjoy and benefit from the land and its biological resources.

The region is also home to the Tangle Lakes Archeological District. To quote from the Bureau of Land Management, “This Archeological District is the largest in the North American subarctic and contains the densest grouping of early prehistoric archaeology in Alaska, with over 600 sites documented.” The Ahtna Athabascan Native Americans feel a special connection to this region.

Unfortunately, this place of unique beauty, cultural artifacts, and recreational and subsistence values has repeatedly been explored for nickel, copper, and platinum-group metals. A Canadian mining company holds over 200 square miles of hardrock mining claims and leases on state lands, mostly on the north side of the Denali Highway. Thus, Tangle Lakes and the surrounding country are threatened by the sights, sounds, and disturbances of mineral exploration, and possible future hardrock mining. If an economic ore body is found, the resulting mine would scar this landscape, pollute air and water (if it follows the pattern of virtually all existing hardrock mines), limit public access, and infringe upon wildlife and those who use these wild lands for recreation and subsistence.

August, 2006: Claims holder Nevada Star Resources announces the coming withdrawal of Anglo American Exploration (a branch of one of the world’s largest mining companies) from its Tangle Lakes region exploration agreement. Anglo American had spent millions of dollars exploring Nevada Star claims for three seasons, including two seasons of drilling, without finding an ore body large enough or rich enough to justify its continued exploration. Nevada Star’s news release puts the best face on Anglo’s withdrawal by pointing out that the claims nearest Tangle Lakes had not been drilled and could host a deep-seated high-grade ore body. Other claims have the potential for a low-grade deposit that could be strip-mined, says Nevada Star.

October, 2006: Nevada Star announces its coming merger with Pure Nickel Inc., a Canadian company formed only the previous year as a holding company.

November, 2006: The Copper Basin Fish and Game Advisory Committee votes to submit a proposal to the Board of Game asking the Board to create a Tangle Lakes State Wildlife Refuge. A refuge would protect wildlife, hunting, and recreation, while giving the Alaska Department of Fish and Game more control over mineral exploration and mining.

March, 2007: The Board of Game votes to defer action on the proposal to create a Tangle Lakes State Wildlife Refuge until its March 2008 meeting.

May, 2007: Pure Nickel, Inc., announces its intention to spend about $3.75 million on its claims around and north of Tangle Lakes. The program is to include airborne geophysical surveys, geochemical sampling, and diamond drilling. Drilling will be conducted north of Tangle Lakes, near Fish Lake.

Summer, 2007: Pure Nickel’s crew and helicopter are stationed at Tangle River Inn. The helicopter makes several flights each day along the Tangle Lakes.