The Alaska Range Alliance (ARA) is a group of Alaskan small business owners, hunters, fishermen, pilots, snow machiners and freedom-loving Americans who live, recreate and operate their businesses in the Susitna valley.

Our mission is to protect Alaska livelihoods and property owners and prevent State of Alaska resources from subsidizing foreign corporations at the expense of Alaskan businesses and way of life.

Our goal is to stop the development of West Susitna Access Mega-Road, an ill-advised project which jeopardizes our local economy and livelihoods in order to drive private benefit for speculative, unproven foreign mining claims.

We want to make sure the public knows what is going on with Alaska’s money.

WHO WE ARE:

  • The Alaska Range Alliance is a 501C(4) non-profit based in Alaska that represents an array of Hunting and Fishing Lodges, Private Property Owners, Outfitting Businesses, and Alaskans concerned about our existing wild-land based economy and the jobs and economic base it supports.

WHAT WE SUPPORT:

  • We support economic growth in our state while not sacrificing one industry for another. The Wild-Land Economy of modern Alaska generates millions of dollars for our economy and we believe it provides opportunities for today and the future of Alaska.

WHY THE ROAD IS A BAD IDEA:

  • We are opposed to the destructive 108-mile West Susitna Access Mega-Road. It would irrevocably harm the untouched region our businesses and local communities rely upon for livelihoods and subsistence.
  • The claims in this region are unproven and foreign corporations simply want the State to pick up the tab for their development costs.
  • The rivers in the Susitna Basin represent a significant share of the Chinook salmon fishery in Alaska and are among the most important strongholds for this keystone species.The proposed road would cut, fill, and bridge the region’s rivers and exasperate the Chinook salmon’s struggle for sustainability in Alaska.
  • The Alaska Industrial Development and Export Authority (AIDEA) has been quietly pushing this project forward – most Alaskans are not aware of the proposed road because AIDEA and its partners have done little to no outreach as they have promised. Surveys by the Mat-Su Borough have shown that an overwhelming number of local residents oppose the project.
  • This is the same AIDEA that has had many expensive failures including a fish plant that is now a mega-church in mid-town Anchorage and a road through wild-lands to a port that does not exist.
  • This is not a trade-off we can support. Nor should our decision-makers.

OUR ASK:

  • Contribute to our efforts financially on our DONATE page.
  • Contact your state representatives and tell them you are opposed to this errant waste of funding.

OUR BOARD:

  • Steve Perrins – Master Guide and owner of Rainy Pass Lodge
  • Vince Beltrami – sport fisherman and former President of Alaska AFL-CIO
  • Mike Overcast – skiing guide and owner of Tordrillo Mountain Lodge
  • Cort Phalp – pilot and former owner of Anchorage Yamaha