Natural Resources Harvested in Alaska

Alaska's Resource Wealth: From Oil to Oceans

1. Oil & Gas

Prudhoe Bay (North Slope) = largest oil field in North America. Trans-Alaska Pipeline (800 mi) to Valdez. ~500K bpd (down from 2M peak). Major state revenue (Permanent Fund dividends).

2. Minerals & Metals

• Red Dog Mine (NW Arctic): World's largest zinc producer; also lead, silver
• Fort Knox, Pogo, Kensington: Gold mines
• Usibelli: Only operating coal mine (Healy)
• Rare Earths: Bokan Mountain (exploration)

3. Fish & Seafood

• Salmon: 5 species (sockeye, king, coho, pink, chum) – Bristol Bay = world's largest sockeye run
• Groundfish: Pollock (largest U.S. fishery by volume), cod, sole, rockfish
• Shellfish: King/snow/Tanner crab, shrimp, scallops, geoduck
• Value: ~$2B/yr; 60% of U.S. commercial catch

4. Timber

Coastal temperate rainforest (Tongass, Chugach): Sitka spruce, western hemlock, cedar. Sustainable yield managed; pulp, lumber, logs export.

5. Water & Hydropower

• Glaciers, rivers, lakes = 40% U.S. surface freshwater
• Hydro = 25% of Alaska's electricity
• Salmon habitat critical

6. Renewable Energy Potential

• Wind: Coastal, Aleutians, North Slope (world-class)
• Geothermal: Aleutian volcanoes, Interior hot springs
• Tidal: Cook Inlet (2nd highest tidal range in N. America)

7. Tourism & Wilderness

Denali, Glacier Bay, Kenai Fjords, Katmai, Gates of the Arctic NPs. 2M+ visitors/yr. $2.5B+ economic impact. Subsistence hunting/fishing for rural residents.

Stewardship challenge: Balance extraction with Indigenous rights, climate vulnerability, and ecosystem integrity.