STOP THE ARCTIC EXTRACTION BILL

Urge your Representative to oppose H.R. 6285 – a single bill that hands huge swaths of wild Alaska to Big Oil.

Photo Credit: Ramachandra Srivatsa

Alaska Wilderness League works to ensure that Alaska's wild landscapes endure to support vibrant communities and abundant wildlife for generations to come.

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What You Need to Know About H.R. 6285 – An Arctic Extraction Bill 

In December 2023, the U.S. House Committee on Natural Resources voted to advance Rep. Stauber’s (R-MN) “Alaska’s Right to Produce Act of 2023” (HR 6285). If passed into law, this extreme legislation would not only reverse the recent safeguards the Biden administration put in place to protect 13 million acres of the Western Arctic, but it would also undo the cancelation of oil and gas leases in the Arctic Refuge and roll back 125 million acres of the Arctic Ocean from indiscriminate oil drilling.

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Your Love Has Kept Alaska Wild

Who do we love? Alaska Wilderness League advocates like you, that’s who! In appreciation for everyone who has raised their voice to make sure Alaska’s wild landscapes endure to support vibrant communities and abundant wildlife for generations to come, we hope you enjoy this little video with footage from our partner, world-renown photographer Florian Schulz.…

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Little-Known “D1” Lands Protecting 28 Million Acres in Alaska Under Threat

In 1971, President Richard Nixon (surprisingly enough) passed the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act, which at the time was the largest land claims settlement in U.S. history. One of the most impressive features of the bill was section 17(d)(1) which gave the Interior Secretary the authority to set portions of that land aside to be protected for subsistence ways of life, cultural relationships with the land, and protection for wildlife.

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House Committee Moves Forward With Arctic Extraction Bill

Today, the U.S. House Committee on Natural Resources voted to advance Rep. Stauber’s “Alaska’s Right to Produce Act of 2023” (HR 6285). If passed into law, this bill would not only reverse the recent safeguards the Biden administration put in place to protect more than 10 million acres of the Western Arctic, but it would also undo the cancelation of leases in the Arctic Refuge.

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How Amazing Arctic Animals Survive An Alaskan Winter

While fall is evident just about everywhere in the lower 48, winter is already moving into Alaska. In honor of the season, please meet a few of the Arctic’s most incredible animals — creatures who endure extreme, dynamic conditions in their own extraordinary way.

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The League Honors President Jimmy Carter With The Mardy Murie Lifetime Achievement Award

In early November, the League hosted a spectacular event at the Burke Museum Museum of Natural History and Culture in Seattle to honor President Jimmy Carter, announce this year’s recipient of our Adam Kolton Storytelling Grant Award, and celebrate our dedicated board who continues to support the League all year long in our tireless fight to protect America’s Arctic.

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Unraveling the Dance of El Niño in the Arctic

El Niño’s reach extends to the Arctic Ocean, triggering a rise in sea surface temperatures which lead to Arctic ocean warming. This seemingly subtle change enacts profound consequences. As the ice in the Arctic Ocean melts at an accelerated pace, it alters the balance of this sensitive ecosystem, impacting polar bears, seals, and countless other species. This shrinking ice cover also contributes to rising sea levels, impacting coastlines worldwide.

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Alaska Wilderness League Applauds Appointment of Laura Daniel-Davis To Acting Deputy Secretary 

Today, Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland announced that President Biden will designate Laura Daniel-Davis as Acting Deputy Secretary, replacing outgoing Deputy Secretary Tommy Beaudreau. Daniel-Davis enters this position with more than three decades of public policy, non-profit and government experience focused on public lands conservation and partnerships.

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PEOPLE LIKE YOU KEEP PLACES LIKE THESE WILD:

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ARCTIC NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE

Protecting the coastal plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge is crucial because of its exceptional wilderness, wildlife, habitat and subsistence values. It is sacred to the Gwich’in People and other Indigenous communities in Alaska and Canada, who rely on its resources for food, as well as cultural and spiritual practices. The 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (Tax Act) included a provision that opened the coastal plain to oil and gas development and mandated two lease sales by 2024. The Biden administration has revoked existing leases and we continue to work with the administration to restore protections to the Arctic Refuge coastal plain.

Photo credit: Micah Baird

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NATIONAL PETROLEUM RESERVE-ALASKA

Development in the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska in Alaska's western Arctic has begun, and ConocoPhillips' Willow project is the poster child for the type of massive fossil fuel development that must be avoided today if we’re to avoid the worst climate impacts down the road. Allowing oil drilling in and around the Teshekpuk Lake Special Area would also threaten an essential cultural area and food source for North Slope communities. Willow would significantly increase ConocoPhillips’ presence in the western Arctic while placing all the burden of development on the people and wildlife of the region.

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TONGASS NATIONAL FOREST

The Tongass National Forest serves as a nationally important carbon sink by storing more carbon than any other forest in the country. It is also the linchpin of Southeast Alaska’s economy, attracting people from around the world for world-class recreation, hunting, and sport and commercial salmon fishing. To protect this national treasure, the U.S. Department of Agriculture recently announced plans to restore protections to more than 9 million acres of roadless areas in the Tongass and end large-scale old-growth logging in America’s largest national forest.

Photo credit: Daniel Dietrich/DanielDietrichPhotography.com

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ARCTIC OCEAN: THE BEAUFORT AND CHUKCHI SEAS

The Beaufort, Chukchi and Northern Bering seas provide habitat for a variety of irreplaceable wildlife, are central to the life and food security for coastal communities, and play a key role in regulating the world’s climate. Offshore oil and gas activities create significant risk to this important and fragile ecosystem and the coastal communities that have depended on it for millennia. The remoteness and unique characteristics of the Arctic marine environment make resource extraction particularly difficult and dangerous, making new leasing unwise in Arctic waters.

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CHUGACH NATIONAL FOREST

More than 1 million people visit the Chugach annually from all over the world; however, it is local Alaskans — especially in and around Anchorage — who really utilize what the Chugach has to offer. According to the U.S. Forest Service, the Chugach serves as the “backyard” for half of Alaska’s residents.

Photo credit: Debbie S. Miller

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BRISTOL BAY

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers announced it has denied a permit for the proposed Pebble Mine in Alaska, determining that “the applicant’s plan for the discharge of fill material does not comply with Clean Water Act guidelines” and concluding that “the proposed project is contrary to the public interest." The Bristol Bay watershed in southwest Alaska boasts the world’s largest sockeye salmon fishery that supports thousands of jobs. Alaskans and Bristol Bay’s Indigenous peoples, as well as hunters, anglers and wildlife enthusiasts from all across the country, spoke out in opposition to this ill-conceived project.