The Alaska Miner Winter 2024 8 First, I would like to welcome everyone who has already committed to attending our Fairbanks Alaska Miners Spring 2024 Convention! It has been many years since we last held this convention in Fairbanks, and we are excited about this opportunity to get together, share, network and celebrate! Fairbanks has a deep history that revolves around mining. The initial establishment of Chena City trading post in 1901 by E.T. Barnette and Captain Charles Adams, and Felix Pedro’s discovery of gold north of this trading post started and fostered the “Fairbanks Gold Rush.” Today, Fairbanks is the “Golden Heart” city of Alaska maintains that strong focus on mining as a “modern mining town.” So why come up north to Fairbanks in March? To me, it is one of the best times of year. Yes, it may be dark with a little snow and a slight chill in the air, but it will be warmer and lighter than it is at the time of writing this! Spring in Fairbanks is a spectacular time. It is when we start to peel back out of our hibernation caves and can start to enjoy the spring outdoors! People coming to Fairbanks can enjoy looking out for the Northen Lights, schedule a dog sled ride through the hills or even enjoy a dip at Chena Hot Springs! While the agenda and the intent of the Fairbanks Spring Conference is the same as the State AMA Conference in November, there are slight differences that we are looking to tap into. Fairbanks also has a very large and active placer mining population. From pretty large scale to small “mom and pop” operators, our Fairbanks convention facilitates our AMA members who may not want to travel way down south to Anchorage. In addition, it is my hope with the conference in Fairbanks to broaden our reach to some of the companies supporting mining and exploration as well as companies and individuals that don’t know how much mining in Fairbanks enriches their lives. As the “Golden Heart” city, Fairbanks truly is a heart that pumps logistics through the state, however, Fairbanks is diversified economically. While the majority of us reading this know the importance of mining in Fairbanks, there are many who do not. Along with mining, Fairbanks relies on tourism, military, our oil/gas brothers, the university, state and federal government to sustain our economy. I view all of these pillars of the economy tied together and hope to show during the Fairbanks convenInvitation to Fairbanks from Our Branch Chair It's a great time to enjoy Fairbanks ... Join Us!
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