DOT&PF proposes five-year lease extensions for Ambler Metals at Dahl Creek Airport

Ambler Metals LLC would continue using two state airport land parcels at Dahl Creek Airport near Ambler for another five years under extensions the Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities has proposed, continuing the mining company's aviation fuel storage and mineral exploration staging access. The proposals are processed under a statute that allows extensions without opening either lease to competing bids.

The extensions cover Lease ADA-71631, a roughly 36,000-square-foot parcel designated Lot 1A, and Lease ADA-71632, which supports aeronautical and mineral exploration operations including fuel storage. Both are processed under AS 02.15.090(c), which, as DOT&PF's own notice states, "allows the Department to grant the proposed lease term extension without competition." DOT&PF frames that authority as supporting continuity of aeronautical operations and long-term investment. The annual rent for Lease ADA-71632 is $2,080.65 plus associated fees; the rent for ADA-71631 is not specified in the available public notices.

The leases are tied to Ambler Metals' exploration and project logistics in the Ambler mining district. Ambler Metals' Arctic project, part of its Upper Kobuk Mineral Projects, holds an estimated 46.7 million tons of probable mineral reserves and is expected to produce about 10,000 tons of ore per day over a 13-year lifespan, with concentrate moved to ports in South Central Alaska. Dahl Creek Airport, located in a roadless region of northwest Alaska, supports staging and fuel storage for that work.

Under the public notice process, written comments or objections must be submitted before DOT&PF makes its final determination on the extensions. Only people who submit written comments or objections by the deadline will receive notice of the department's final decision.

Written comments must reach Erik Widman at [email protected] no later than 4:30 p.m. on July 27, 2026. Widman can also be reached by phone at (907) 451-5229 or in person at DOT&PF Aviation Leasing, 2301 Peger Road, Fairbanks.