vance Alaska mining and our way of life. You are truly one of a kind, and it's an honor to call you a friend! There are a number of other incredible stories you will read in this edition of The Alaska Miner, including: n A goodbye to my friend Bob Stiles and the legacy he left in his own right in Alaska and for resource development (Page 18) n The outlook for Alaska gold with prices continuing to climb to record highs and beyond (Page 24) n The importance of Alaska coal amid President Trump's announcement promoting the industry (Page 28) n Alaska Mining Day and why it continues to be such an important milestone (Page 32) Moving forward with the rest of 2025, we will have many more opportunities to share what Alaska mining truly means — and which all of you already know. Alaska has always been blessed with good rocks. Our No. 1 challenge will continue to be proving we can develop and produce more for the state that we love more than anybody who doesn’t live here. You can count on AMA to keep you posted as each challenge arises — and they undoubtedly will continue. And to let us provide the facts you need to support our shared arguments. I also look forward to seeing each and every one of you at our upcoming events, and especially this November at our annual convention in Anchorage. Best wishes for a great summer! Deantha Skibinski, AMA Executive Director Dear Alaska Miners, Sliding headfirst into May, and it is amazing to think of what has taken place over the past handful of months. These are truly monumental times for our industry. I think our Federal Oversight co-chairman JP Tangen put it best when he recently announced on a statewide Zoom, “I have never in my decades of working in mining witnessed such forward shift in federal policy and such a spotlight on our industry.” It is true: mining is playing a key and center role in Washington, D.C., with much of its attention on the West and in Alaska. AMA has been in multiple important venues the past few months, advocating for our members and for Alaska. We just wrapped up the Alaska on the Hill events in Washington, and our group of 120 Alaskans from mining, oil and gas, fishing, forestry, tourism, construction, Alaska Native organizations, and business members had facetime with dozens of members of Congress, the Trump Administration, including Department of Interior Secretary Doug Bergum. Being able to share the importance that Alaska mining plays at the state, federal and global level to those individuals who help enact large policy decisions is usually among the biggest challenges we have. But right now, it is immense opportunity. We were able to share information about large mining operations, placer mining (thank you to Paul Manuel for making the trip, it is going to be a highlight of my career to share placer mining information in our nation’s capital), exploration, and so much more. And we did that alongside our partners in other industries to present a united front that left a meaningful impact on those we met with. It truly is a blessing to have such a robust and well-rounded coalition to help share our stories and support our mission. Thank you to everyone who took time out of their busy schedules to join us! We will have much more about the event and what was discussed in coming publications. Looking ahead, there are numerous opportunities to collaborate and help spread a good word about all the positives that Alaska mining brings. Alaska Mining Day on May 10 again will be a celebration of the past contributions of miners and also help bring together current and future miners during a day that was designated specifically for us. Governor Dunleavy’s Alaska Sustainable Energy Conference in June will put mining at the forefront in several discussions. And that’s just what lies ahead in the next four weeks! I smile when I write this next part. It has been really heartwarming to follow Roger Burggraf and his amazing contributions to Alaska mining. Roger is on the cover of this publication for his generous donation of his personal gold collection to the University of Alaska Museum of the North in Fairbanks. This is another opportunity to recognize one of the greatest Alaska miners who has or ever will call our state home, and his donation to the Museum will ensure his contributions are remembered long into the future. Roger is a true pioneer but also one of the kindest and most generous men you may ever come across. Thank you, Roger, for everything you have done to ad- Executive Director’s Report www.AlaskaMiners.org 1
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