Until 1995, the United States was ranked the largest producer of critical minerals in the world. In fact, the U.S. has “deposits of every mineral in the periodic table,” according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
But that all changed when Bill Clinton was president. Using “climate” as his excuse, his administration began shutting down vast regions across the nation to “protect” nature by using monument designations, wilderness determinations, national parks, and using the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) to halt dozens of major projects that would provide critical minerals and deposits of all kinds.
And, it’s now very clear Presidents Clinton, Obama and Biden intentionally hamstrung and endangered our nation by preventing U.S. production of these minerals favoring the purchase of them from China, Russia, South Africa, and Canada.
Because of this, the USGS report from 2017, stated “the U.S. was 100 percent import dependent for at least 20 critical and strategic minerals” and 50-99 percent “dependent for another 30 key minerals.” China currently provides 20 out of the 23 critical minerals the U.S. needs for critical industrial products.
This all changed last week when President Trump authorized the prompt re-opening of the 211-mile industrial road known as the Alaskan Ambler Road Project connecting the nation with the Ambler Mining District providing large deposits of copper, cobalt, gallium, germanium, gold, and other minerals unleashing Alaska’s extraordinary resource potential.
Not only will this protect our nation and provide economic stability in the region, it will provide vital strategic metals that are necessary components for military weapons systems, cellphones, lithium ion batteries, and other high-technology products.
The Ambler Road Project was created in 1980, when President Jimmy Carter signed the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act (ANILCA) into law. This bill created 10 federal parks, preserves, monuments and guaranteed access to and from the Ambler Mining District.
It took the bureaucracy 40 years for the Department of Interior and Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to issue a NEPA Final Environmental Impact Statement for the Ambler Road in March of 2020. Four months later the BLM and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) issued their Joint Record of Decision approving the project.
But then in 2024, the Biden administration stopped the project and instead forced the purchase of critical minerals from China.
On October 6, 2025, President Trump approved the permits and issued the reason for his decision to authorize the construction of the road and give the United States access to some of the most critical minerals needed for the safety and security of our nation. His office also issued a fact sheet explaining the importance of the road.
