Integrated Land Use Planning for Sustainable Communities on The Seward Peninsula; An Assessment of Potential Mining Development and Indigenous Livelihoods

Ridwan Akogun

doi:10.56201/ijgem.v10.no12.2024.pg231.272

📄 Download Paper

Integrated Land Use Planning for Sustainable Communities on The Seward Peninsula; An Assessment of Potential Mining Development and Indigenous Livelihoods

Ridwan Akogun

Abstract

Alaska’s Seward Peninsula is at a pivotal intersection of natural resource development and Indigenous subsistence livelihoods. This research provides a critical assessment of the impact of proposed mining activities, specifically the development of graphite mining, on the traditional land use patterns of Indigenous communities. As the demand for graphite, a vital component in the transition towards a decarbonized economy increases, Alaska finds itself at the forefront of balancing economic development with environmental stewardship and cultural preservation. While existing studies provide a comprehensive analysis of the environmental impacts stemming from extraction industries, there remains a notable policy gap in integrating specific spatial and temporal land-use data to inform adaptive governance strategies. This deficiency presents a multifaceted policy problem, particularly in regions like the Seward Peninsula where Indigenous populations depend on traditional subsistence practices for their livelihoods. This study employs a multifaceted approach, incorporating Geographic Information Systems data and a comprehensive review of existing management actions for land use planning. It aims to show the spatial dynamics between mining activities and subsistence use areas, thereby guiding sustainable land use planning and management actions. By doing so, the research assesses the potential impacts of mining on subsistence resources, wildlife habitats, and the overall resilience of Indigenous communities, framing these within policy contexts and providing recommendations. Key findings underscore the vital role of subsistence hunting and sportfishing in the livelihoods of rural Alaskans in the Seward Peninsula and the overlap of potential mining activities with these practices. The proposed Graphite One Project, with its promise of economic development, casts a long shadow over these traditional livelihoods, highlighting the need for an integrated land use management framework that harmonizes economic aspirations with environmental stewardship and cultural preservation. Using Multicriteria Decision Analysis and drawing upon insights from similar policy contexts, the study advocates for a policy alternative that ensures meaningful participation of local communities in decision-making processes, rigorous environmental safeguards, and equitable economic benefits.

Keywords

Indigenous subsistence; Seward Peninsula; GIS-based land-use analysis; NEPA permitting; Adaptive governance; Environmental stewardship

References

Alaska Department of Fish and Game. n.d.-a. “Harvest Information.” Accessed May 1, 2023. https://secure.wildlife.alaska.gov/index.cfm?fuseaction=harvest.lookup. Alaska Department of Fish and Game. n.d. “Fishing Info - Northwest Drainages Management Area, Alaska Department of Fish and Game.” Northwest Drainages Management Area, Fishing Information. Accessed April 27, 2024. https://www.adfg.alaska.gov/index.cfm?adfg=ByAreaInteriorNorthwest.fishingInfo Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development. 2022. “Wages in Alaska.” 2022. https://live.laborstats.alaska.gov/wage/index.html#49. Berman, Matthew, Robert Loeffler, and Jennifer I. Schmidt. 2020. “Long-Term Benefits to Indigenous Communities of Extractive Industry Partnerships: Evaluating the Red Dog Mine.” Resources Policy 66 : 101609. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.resourpol.2020.101609. Brinkman, Todd J., Winslow D. Hansen, F. Stuart Chapin, Gary Kofinas, Shauna BurnSilver, and T. Scott Rupp. 2016. “Arctic Communities Perceive Climate Impacts on Access as a Critical Challenge to Availability of Subsistence Resources.” Climatic Change 139 (3–4): 413–27. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10584-016-1819-6. Brumbaugh, William A, and Thomas. W May. 2008. “Elements in Mud and Snow in the Vicinity of the DeLong Mountain Regional Transportation System Road, Red Dog Mine, and Cape Krusenstern National Monument, Alaska, 2005–06, U.S. Geological Survey Scientific Investigations Report 2008–5040, 30 p.” Scientific Investigations Report SIR 2008-5040. Scientific Investigations Report. Cisneros-Montemayor, Andrés M., Daniel Pauly, Lauren V. Weatherdon, and Yoshitaka Ota. 2016. “A Global Estimate of Seafood Consumption by Coastal Indigenous Peoples.” Edited by Timothy Darren Clark. PLOS ONE 11 (12): e0166681. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0166681. Colorado School of Mines. n.d. “News - Global Energy Future Initiative - Colorado School of Mines.” Global Energy Future Initiative. Accessed April 14, 2024. https://www.mines.edu/global-energy-future/news/. Grand View Research. 2021. “Graphite Market Size, Share & Growth Analysis Report, 2030.” Graphite Market Size & Trends. 2021. https://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry- analysis/graphite-market-report. Graphite One. 2022. “Preliminary Feasibility Study Technical Report Graphite One Project.” https://www.graphiteoneinc.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/JDS-Graphite-One-NI- 43-101-PFS-20221013-compressed.pdf. Graphite One Awarded $37.5 Million Department of Defense Grant Under the Defense Production Act. Graphite One . July 17, 2023. https://www.graphiteoneinc.com/graphite-one-awarded-37-5-million-department-of- defense-grant-under-the-defense-production-act/. Hasselbach, L., J.M. Ver Hoef, J. Ford, P. Neitlich, E. Crecelius, S. Berryman, B. Wolk, and T. Bohle. 2005. “Spatial Patterns of Cadmium and Lead Deposition on and Adjacent to National Park Service Lands in the Vicinity of Red Dog Mine, Alaska.” Science of The Total Environment 348 (1–3): 211–30. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2004.12.084. Hauser, Donna D. W., Alex V. Whiting, Andrew R. Mahoney, John Goodwin, Cyrus Harris, Robert J. Schaeffer, Roswell Schaeffer, et al. 2021. “Co-Production of Knowledge Reveals Loss of Indigenous Hunting Opportunities in the Face of Accelerating Arctic Climate Change.” Environmental Research Letters 16 (9): 095003. https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/ac1a36. Huntington, Henry P., Seth L. Danielson, Francis K. Wiese, Matthew Baker, Peter Boveng, John J. Citta, Alex De Robertis, et al. 2020. “Evidence Suggests Potential IIARD International Journal of Geography & Environmental Management Transformation of the Pacific Arctic Ecosystem Is Underway.” Nature Climate Change 10 (4): 342–48. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41558-020-0695-2. Jameson, Heather. 2019. “Making Your Hunt Count, Alaska Department of Fish and Game.” Alaska Department of Fish and Game. https://www.adfg.alaska.gov/index.cfm?adfg=wildlifenews.view_article&articles_id= 916. Loeffler, Robert. 2015. “Mining and Sustainable Communities.” 2015. https://media.alaskapublic.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/2015- MiningAndSustainableCommunities.pdf. Magdanz, James S, Hazel Smith, Nicole M Braem, Patricia Fox, and David Koster. 2011. “Patterns and Trends in Subsistence Fish Harvests, Northwest Alaska, 1994–2004,” 110. Mine to Material Manufacturing. Graphite One . Accessed April 14, 2024. https://www.graphiteoneinc.com/mine-to-material-manufacturing/. Moerlein, Katie J., and Courtney Carothers. 2012. “Total Environment of Change: Impacts of Climate Change and Social Transitions on Subsistence Fisheries in Northwest Alaska.” Ecology and Society 17 (1): art10. https://doi.org/10.5751/ES-04543-170110. Neitlich, Peter N., Jay M. Ver Hoef, Shanti D. Berryman, Anaka Mines, Linda H. Geiser, Linda M. Hasselbach, and Alyssa E. Shiel. 2017. “Trends in Spatial Patterns of Heavy Metal Deposition on National Park Service Lands along the Red Dog Mine Haul Road, Alaska, 2001–2006.” PLOS ONE 12 (5): e0177936. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0177936. Neufeld, G., C.L. Brown, and L.S. Navarro. 2021. Regional Spatial Analysis of Subsistence Activity in Interior Alaska. Technical Paper. Alaska Department of Fish and Game, Division of Subsistence. https://books.google.com/books?id=5\_-dzgEACAAJ. Neufeld, G., L. Naaktgeboren, D. Gonzalez, and C. Brown. 2019. “Arctic-Boreal Vulnerability Experiment ABoVE: Subsistence Resource Use Areas of Interior Alaskan Communities, 2011-2017.” ESRI Shapefile, 4.532356 MB. https://doi.org/10.3334/ORNLDAAC/1725. Pinstrup-Andersen, Per. 2009. “Food Security: Definition and Measurement.” Food Security 1 (1): 5–7. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12571-008-0002-y. Sackett et ux. v. Environmental Protection Agency et al. 2023. United States Supreme Court. Sergeant, Christopher J., Erin K. Sexton, Jonathan W. Moore, Alana R. Westwood, Sonia A. Nagorski, Joseph L. Ebersole, David M. Chambers, et al. 2022. “Risks of Mining to Salmonid-Bearing Watersheds.” Science Advances 8 (26): eabn0929. https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.abn0929. Subsistence in Alaska: Home Page, Alaska Department of Fish and Game.” Accessed April 14, 2024. https://www.adfg.alaska.gov/index.cfm?adfg=subsistence.main. US Environmental Protection Agency. 1984. “Environmental Impact Statement, Red Dog Mine Project, Northwest Alaska.” September 1984. https://nepis.epa.gov/Exe/ZyPDF.cgi/20008ZOO.PDF?Dockey=20008ZOO.PDF. US Geological Survey. 2023. “Mineral Commodity Summaries 2023,” 214. (W) Seward Peninsula/Norton Sound - Sport Fishing Survey (v2.3.2).” Accessed July 31, 2023. https://www.adfg.alaska.gov/sf/sportfishingsurvey/index.cfm?ADFG=area.home. IIARD International Journal of Geography & Environmental Management

Integrated Land Use Planning for Sustainable Communities on The Seward Peninsula; An Assessment of Potential Mining Development and Indigenous Livelihoods

Abstract

Keywords

References

More Articles from IIARD INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF GEOGRAPHY AND ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT