Conservationists and hunters have denounced a state proposal to construct a mining road through northwest Alaska.
The Anchorage Daily News reported Wednesday that the plan came under fire at a hearing Tuesday, the first of a series of statewide public meetings on the road plan.
Hunters say the proposed Ambler Road would be closed to the public, while conservationists say it would hurt caribou and other wildlife needed by area villages.
The 200-mile project would link Alaska's road system north of Fairbanks to the Ambler Mining District, ending near Ambler and other villages.
Nearly 20 people spoke against the plan during the federal Bureau of Land Management hearing in Anchorage.
A smaller group expressed support for the project, saying it could produce jobs and state revenue.