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Why We Should Be Watching the Development of the Johnson Tract Mine
The Johnson Tract Mine represents more than just another mining project; it challenges Alaska to confront a fundamental question: Will we sacrifice our last wild places for short-term gains, or will we fight to protect them for future generations? Tuxedni Bay is more than just a site for mining—it’s a vital piece of Cook Inlet’s ecological legacy.

Why We Should Be Watching the Development of the Johnson Tract Mine

UPDATE 10/28/2024: It seems the National Park Service (NPS) has canceled the inadequate 14-day public comment period on their resource analysis to assess a proposed haul road and port facility to transport ore through Lake Clark National Park & Preserve. We will keep you updated as we learn more.

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Tuxedni Bay, known as Tuk’ezitnu in the Dena’ina language, is not just a stunning wilderness; it’s a vital sanctuary for endangered Cook Inlet belugas, embedded in the west side of Cook Inlet’s ‘bear coast’ and kitty-corner to the Tuxedni Wilderness- home to the largest seabird colony in Cook Inlet. Tuxedni Bay is also the preferred location for the proposed transportation corridor for the  Johnson Tract mine, a non-critical minerals (gold) project in advanced exploration stages that would introduce a marine terminal with a haul road, port site, and ore barges.

Background & History

The Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (ANCSA) of 1971 led to the 1976 Cook Inlet Land Exchange, where Cook Inlet Region, Inc. (CIRI) gained ownership of 21,120 acres in the Johnson Tract. This area became a private inholding within the boundaries of Lake Clark National Park after the 1980 Alaska National Interest Land Claims Act (ANILCA). CIRI acquired surface and subsurface rights and the ability to negotiate easements for mining and transportation corridors across National Park lands to Cook Inlet.

As part of the 1976 land exchange, CIRI not only obtained the right to mine the minerals from the Johnson Tract but also the right to negotiate right-of-way access across National Park lands to get those minerals to market. That means CIRI and the Department of Interior (including the National Park Service) must agree on an easement over park lands to get the product to tidewater, and another easement for constructing an export terminal along the shores of Cook Inlet.

Mining exploration in the Johnson Tract began in the 1980s, and in 2018 CIRI entered a lease agreement with Constantine Metal Resources, and in 2019, exploration shifted to a new company, High Gold. The parties entered a ten-year lease arrangement, committing High Gold to specified exploration and other work with an option to renew should the project prove economically viable.

A Precious Ecosystem Under Threat

Meanwhile, between 1979-2018, Cook Inlet beluga populations declined by 80%, and the belugas were officially listed as an Endangered species in 2008. The recent discovery by Castellote (2023 and 2024) confirmed Tuxedni Bay as the first known winter foraging ground for belugas and underscored the ecological importance of this region for the survival of the species. With their populations in steep decline, Tuxedni Bay remains a refuge; where the quiet waters offer a place to forage and communicate during the critical winter months without the interference of industrial noise. While Cook Inletkeeper and the Center for Biological Diversity have petitioned the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) for a Cook Inlet beluga protection zone, this sanctuary faces a looming threat: the proposed Johnson Tract Mine. 

A Call for Extended Public Engagement
The National Park Service (NPS) has begun an environmental review process to assess a proposed haul road and port facility to transport ore, raising concerns about increased noise and habitat destruction. Public participation is essential in decisions of this magnitude, yet the NPS has rushed the comment period to just 14 days to be opened sometime in November. Given the potential long-term impacts on this fragile ecosystem, and the lack of public awareness around the mine Inletkeeper and other stakeholders are requesting a 60-day extension to ensure that local communities, business owners, conservationists, and Indigenous voices can fully participate in the review process.

An extended comment period would allow detailed analysis of the potential effects of the mine, particularly the haul road and port facility that would increase industrial activity near Tuxedni Bay. 

Greater than Gold, Bigger than Belugas
Gold is a fully recyclable and non-critical mineral, yet we are on the verge of sacrificing invaluable wildlife habitats for its extraction. The west side of Cook Inlet, also known as the “bear coast,” supports brown and black bears, wolves, wolverines, and all five species of salmon, making it crucial not only for ecological integrity but for sustainable tourism and local economies that rely on this natural beauty. 

The proposed port would sit directly across from Chisik Island, which is part of the Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge, home to the largest seabird colony in Cook Inlet and a critical nesting ground for puffins, murres, pigeon guillemots, sea ducks, and even bald and golden eagles. Increased industrial activity could have devastating consequences for these bird populations. 

Cook Inlet Beluga populations hover at approximately 300 whales and their habitat is riddled with threats from underwater noise from oil and gas development, reductions in critical prey availability, and pollution. Tuxedni Bay is an invaluable refuge, rich in prey, and a key foraging area in the fall, winter, and spring.  

The Johnson Tract Mine represents more than just another mining project; it challenges Alaska to confront a fundamental question: Will we sacrifice our last wild places for short-term gains, or will we fight to protect them for future generations? Tuxedni Bay is more than just a site for mining—it’s a vital piece of Cook Inlet’s ecological legacy.

Get Informed 

The public has a critical opportunity to influence the outcome of this decision. Our hope is for an extension in the NPS comment period to ensure all voices are heard and that the full range of potential impacts on Cook Inlet’s wildlife is considered. However, we may have only a short window to raise inquiries and concerns so now is the time to learn more. A few wonderful resources from our partners are linked below, which offer a full layout of the background history and issues at hand. 

This is not just about opposing a mine—it’s about protecting a rich, irreplaceable ecosystem that belongs to future generations as much as it does to us today.

Learn More Links: