Report shows mineral production in Alaska worth $3.1 billion to state

According to a state report released Wednesday, the value of mineral production in Alaska last year reached an estimated $3.1 billion, a near-record figure driven largely by prices for zinc and gold. Mining has done much to insulate Alaska from the devastating effects of our current economic situation, and according to the Alaska Division of Geological and Geophysical Surveys and the commerce department’s Division of Economic Development, mining is poised to continue to bring jobs and money into Alaska.