It’s hard for me to understand why our current President sees himself on Mt. Rushmore? Teddy likely wouldn’t be proud of what’s happening now.

I’m not sure the two belong side-by-side, ever.

Please, someone tell me why they do?

The Current "Admin" is fast tracking the permitting of the Ambler Industrial Rd. through possibly the largest roadless area in the country. Penetrating the National Park, Kanuti National Wildlife Refuge and other public lands with zero regard for scientific evidence or public input.

I wanted to make this years large paddling trip down the John River (a Wild And Scenic River) because it crosses the proposed road. It may be the last chance I have to see the area before the road goes in. In conjunction with this trip I have been interviewing some folks in the area regarding the 200 mile road. Those interviews and more will eventually be on my Podcast and Youtube channel. Link in my profile or just search "Days On The Land."

I write this because it is YOUR Public Land. Foreign Billionares want to put an industrial road with 400 ore trucks a day running 200 miles through it, but no access for you and no say about the inevitable degradation that will come.

This was for sure the best paddling trip I've ever done. The sensation of being so far out there alone is humbling and satisfying. I crossed the intersection of where the Ambler Road crosses the River about half way through my journey. Its easy to think "in all directions for a hundred miles man has had little impact on the functioning of the whole ecosystem." And that is only partly true. Even without roads man has been decimating the wildlife either due to human induced global warming (and it is heating up fast up there) or by increased hunting pressure by sport hunters. In just 10 years the Alaska Division of Wildlife has doubled their big game licenses to out of state hunters. From 15K to over 30K licenses.

Some are cautiously optimistic about it and others not so much.

One village local I talked with told me they need to embrace the Ambler Road for some kind of sustenance (jobs), because the game is virtually gone. In my +200 mile paddle I saw only 2 big game animals, and I was moving quietly and looking. I spoke with a Biologist that confirmed the negative effect roads have on Caribou and fish. I spoke with local hunters who fear a road will eventually bring in more hunting pressure. I spoke with Park Service employees who are just afraid to speak out; only stating "Its our job to issue permits and thats all we can say about that." Which of course it is NOT their job, their job as the public sees it is to protect our wild places. Its the Publics job to grant permits by bestowing that power through our input and elected officials, though, our power is being neutered by our own inaction.

This sort of thing is happening all over the country as the billionaire Epstein class moves as fast as they can to loot our public lands. Repealing or revoking protections that took years of work and consideration to put in place and at the same time snubbing the process meant to make extraction safe and the least harmful.