Strategic Minerals Initiative
Press coverage
Worthy initiative: State seeks to promote strategic mineral work, Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, 11/29/12
Geologists map locations of strategic and critical minerals, Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, 10/9/12
Mining News: Alaska geologists unearth rare earths, Mining News, 8/29/12
Publications
Annual report on Alaska's mineral industry
Testimony
Congressional testimony by Commissioner Sullivan, 6/2/2011
Recent data releases
A comprehensive, five-part strategy to unlock Alaska's strategic mineral potential
Introduction
On September 30, 2011, during the inaugural Alaska Strategic and Critical Minerals Summit, Governor Sean Parnell announced a five-part strategy to spur the exploration of rare-earth elements and other strategic minerals in Alaska, with the ultimate goal of mining and processing them in Alaska.
Alaska has at least 70 occurrences of rare-earth elements and one of them, the Bokan Mountain/Dotson Ridge prospect, is ranked 15th in North America for total tonnage of contained rare-earth oxides.
The State of Alaska and the University of Alaska Fairbanks hosted their second annual Strategic and Critical Minerals Summit on Nov. 30, 2012 in Fairbanks. To view slide presentations and videos from this event, click here. In addition, a summary report on the 2012 summit is now available from the Alaska Division of Geological & Geophysical Surveys. Slide presentations from the 2011 summit are archived here.
Five-part strategy
Secure Alaska's Future - Strategic Minerals is the state's comprehensive strategy to:
I. Undertake a statewide assessment of Alaska's strategic mineral potential.
II. Provide incentives for the development of known or highly prospective strategic mineral occurences throughout Alaska.
III. Improve the structure and efficiency of permitting processes in order to expedite mineral development, including strategic minerals.
IV. Deepen coordination with public and private sector stakeholders to encourage domestic exploration, development and processing of strategic minerals.
V. Attract new investment and markets for Alaska's abundant mineral resources.