A group of people have started an effort to block mining on Happy Ridge near Ester Dome.
The ridge is a steep-sided rib of Ester Dome that runs slightly north from the eastern flank, toward the intersection of Ester Dome and Sheep Creek roads. It is a wooded area with several old mining trails that are now used by a variety of trail users. Especially popular is the unofficially named Happy Ridge Trail, which runs along the top of the ridge connecting Henderson and St. Patrick roads.
U.S. Antimony is currently exploring in the area near the top the ridge, though their operations are on hold for the winter.
The group, Ester Dome Watch, has started a petition to pressure the Alaska Department of Natural Resources to reclassify the ridge as recreational and deny any mining permits.
Find out more about the group’s efforts HERE. The group has produced a flyer HERE.
Go directly to the petition HERE.
Read more about recent mining activity on Ester Dome, including on Happy Ridge, HERE.
I lived on Henderson Road for 25 years, raised my kids there. There’s plenty of room to recreate and plenty of trails out that way. Trail access isn’t their main concern. They just hate the idea of mining, period!
Quality of life matters.
The point of mining is to convert public resources into private gain. Mining companies have always had a clear understanding that the more they can outsource their costs onto us, the more money they can take home. The costs are not only the ugliness, environmental destruction and pollution but also such direct costs as road building and maintenance. And in the case of mining on Happy (St. Patrick) Rd., we would also bear the cost of greatly reduced property values anywhere near the mine and anywhere near the roads they would use. And big promises notwithstanding, we will bear the costs of cleaning up the mine (if that’s ever done, very often it isn’t) when they go home.