News
Sam Kolton: A Personal Connection to Public Lands
November 10, 2025
Blog author Sam Kolton has a lifelong connection to the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge — a place his late father, Adam Kolton, who served as Executive Director of Alaska Wilderness League, dedicated his life to protecting. In this reflection, Sam shares how visiting the Refuge for the first time and interning with Alaska Wilderness League in Washington, D.C., deepened his commitment to conservation and inspired him to continue his father’s legacy of protecting America’s Arctic.
In my family, spending time in nature was an important value. Whether it was Cub Scout camping trips or grueling hikes in Yosemite, Olympic, or Acadia, we were happiest when we were outdoors.
But the place that meant the most to us was one that I had never yet been to — the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. My Dad, who died in 2021, fought for decades to protect this sacred land from drilling. I recall countless stories from him about what a special and majestic place this was. His stories and pictures from his numerous trips helped me imagine what it was like, but I finally got to see it for myself in 2021 shortly after he died.
From the moment my mom, brother and I first stepped onto the coastal plain, I was mind blown by the peacefulness of this rugged terrain. The mountain ranges stared back at me, while the thick, grassy terrain comforted me like a cozy mattress. As the brisk and cool Arctic air hit my face, I couldn’t help but feel inspired by the area around me. My whole life, I watched from a distance as my father worked passionately and tirelessly to protect the Refuge from oil and gas lease sales. Now it was my turn.
I realized that when it comes to public lands and the Arctic Refuge, we need to use our voices in any way we can to be the change maker when it comes to policy for my generation. The longer we sit back and allow America’s Arctic to be exploited, our wildlife suffers, Native communities lose cultural practices and sacred ground, and our public lands continue to struggle to survive from the consequences of our actions.
This past summer, I finally got my chance to contribute as a legislative intern for Alaska Wilderness League in their D.C. office. This was a particularly important time, as the Trump administration and Congress were looking for any opportunity to open public lands in Alaska and across the U.S. through the so-called “Big Beautiful Bill.”
I worked closely with League legislative staff and partners from other environmental groups as we all battled back against these provisions. One critical aspect was to build a coalition of small businesses and regional environmental groups to weigh in with their home state Senators.
It was important that as many members of Congress as possible heard from their constituents that opening public lands would have detrimental impacts on communities and businesses. I helped reach out to multiple businesses and groups from across the country to get them to sign onto the letter. I felt a huge sense of accomplishment with each signature I secured.
My work didn’t stop at the computer screen. A highlight of my internship was attending meetings on Capitol Hill with Congressional staff. We met with a Senate champion Ed Markey where we discussed what they can do to continue to lead the fight to protect the Arctic Refuge. We shared information back and forth and discussed strategies.
In other meetings where we didn’t have a strong relationship, our goal was to inform the staff members of the pressing issues at hand. What struck me was the importance of having strong relationships, looking at multiple congressional offices where we can call on them for support on important votes.
This part of the internship really drew me in, the hands-on lobbying of having to engage with them and call their attention to these issues felt so challenging. Persuading them to put time into these problems and care about them enough to take action really seemed like a challenge to me.
Alongside these advocacy efforts, I gained a different perspective by attending congressional hearings. My most memorable hearing was the House Natural Resources Committee where Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum testified. I showed up with my colleagues, all wearing bright blue “Protect The Arctic Refuge” shirts. We were very hard to miss.
Before the hearing had begun, Congressman Begich (R-AK) approached us and asked if we were from Alaska or had ever even been to the state. It felt to me that he was questioning why we were even there. What does a kid from D.C know about Alaska? I started to feel discouraged until Ranking Member Huffman (D-CA) saw my shirt and went out of his way to thank me for being there.
My key takeaway from this congressional hearing was the overall divide between the two parties. Members were far from cordial, with no middle ground. Democrats criticized the Secretary while Republicans praised him for his “outstanding work.” There was no reaching across the political aisle. Where was the collective action I learned about in my political science class? Didn’t the framers of the Constitution want both sides to work together?
In this moment, I realized that it was up to my generation to bridge that political divide. If we want to protect these public lands and particularly the Refuge, we need to be open to collectively finding common ground. We shouldn’t assume that someone is the “enemy” just because of the t-shirt they are wearing. What I learned over this past summer in my internship inspired me to take these lessons back to my college campus and have these discussions with friends with whom I don’t align politically.
I’m really grateful for Alaska Wilderness League staff and board members and the overall conservation community including the Sierra Club, League of Conservation Voters, and the Wilderness Society. In particular, I want to thank Tom Campion for his decades-long commitment to the Arctic and his deep relationship with my dad and now me.
I learned and continue to learn so much by working hand and hand with these dedicated champions. I’m even more inspired and excited to continue to work to protect public lands.
Sam Kolton is a sophomore at Syracuse University, majoring in public policy with a concentration in environmental sustainability. He is a member of Delta Tau Delta Fraternity, where he serves as social chair. Sam is passionate about protecting public lands and has been fortunate to visit the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge on two occasions. In his spare time, he remains a committed fan of both the Mets and the New York Jets, despite their lackluster performances. Sam grew up in Bethesda, Maryland, where he looks forward to visiting on college breaks and spending time with his dog, Riley.
