Our History

“Save Goldstream” was formed in August 2021 when a groundswell of community opposition developed against the proposed gold exploration on Mental Health Trust lands in Fairbanks including on Ester Dome, Treasure Creek, and Fox Creek. When Millrock, the project generator company, withdrew its applications for Mental Health Trust lands on Ester Dome, it felt like a victory. 

Unfortunately, those were a fraction of proposed claims, most of which were already permitted for exploration — including much of Ester Dome, Treasure Creek, Cleary Summit (Ski Land), and Amanita. The organization evolved from “Save Goldstream” to "Save the Domes" to include the exploration occurring beyond the Goldstream Valley. To reflect the shared sense of community ownership of the many domes and ridges surrounding Fairbanks, we changed our name to "Save Our Domes" in 2022.

We are comprised primarily of a group of hearty volunteers and continue to evolve as we position ourselves for efficacy and efficiency. With funding from the Alaska Conservation Foundation and other grants, the Northern Alaska Environmental Center provides part-time staff support and fiscal sponsorship. 

We hope our shared sense of ownership of the landscapes in Fairbanks motivates community members to join in collective action to protect them from incompatible industrial-scale hard rock mining.