Learning to Lobby for the Arctic: A Semester on the Front Lines of Public Lands Protection

This past fall, I had the amazing opportunity to intern with Alaska Wilderness League, an experience that profoundly shaped my understanding of environmental advocacy, non-profit lobbying, Alaskan public lands, and the overall legislative process. Working closely with AWL’s lobbying team, I was given the unique opportunity to directly engage with their campaigns through attending lobbying meetings, congressional hearings, fly-ins, and other daily activities.

One of the most valuable aspects of my internship was the chance to shadow the lobby team during their meetings with congressional staffers. Through these meetings, I learned how AWL tailors their messaging to connect with different types of offices by appealing to their priorities or shared experiences. In contrast, meetings with allied offices looked very different. Rather than informing them of the threats facing Alaskan public lands, the focus was on sharing information about upcoming hearings or bill markups and coordinating strategy on legislation they were already working on together. Before this experience, I had simply discussed lobbying tactics in class, but actually seeing these meetings myself made clear the importance of preparation, communication, and framing, in addition to pure passion for protecting public lands.

Another highlight of my internship was participating in the fly-ins, through which AWL helped bring Arctic guides and Inupiat activist Rosemary Ahtuangaruak to Washington, D.C. to tell their stories on The Hill. Not only did I get to assist in preparing materials for the meetings, but I also got to attend them and learn about how national energy policy affects small businesses and some Alaska Native communities. This enlightening experience showed me that politics does not occur in a bubble. The decisions made in Washington, D.C. have real impacts on communities across the nation, and effective advocacy should combine lived experiences with policy expertise– an approach that AWL consistently emphasizes. 

Beyond lobby meetings, I also attended a significant congressional hearing. In September, the House Natural Resources Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations held a hearing titled “Unleashing Alaska’s Extraordinary Resource Potential,” during which they discussed issues related to public lands, including energy development, mining, cultural resources, and climate change. I, along with others, wore bright blue “Save the Arctic” t-shirts that stood out among the crowd of pro-industry suits sitting in their reserved front-row seats. We even earned the attention of Republican committee member Tom Tiffany (WI-07), who pointedly mentioned us in his closing remarks.

Going from watching these hearings on TV to being directly called out in the Longworth Building by a member of Congress was a surreal experience I will never forget. It gave me the feeling that I am not simply a passive observer of the decisions made in our capital city, but someone who can engage in the process to help make meaningful change.

I am extremely grateful to Alaska Wilderness League for providing me with such a formative experience. My time with AWL reinforced my aspirations to get involved in non-profit environmental lobbying, and this experience taught me so many of the essential skills to excel in this field. In particular, I would like to thank Emma Powell for providing me with such a great experience and for her continued guidance and support throughout the semester, as well as Alex Cohen and Andy Moderow for teaching me so much about lobbying strategies and the legislative process, and the entire AWL staff for creating such a welcoming and supportive environment.

Connor Scafidi is a junior Political Science major and Environmental Studies minor from Boston, MA, studying at the College of the Holy Cross. He is an avid Boston sports fan who enjoys playing indie folk music on guitar, taking trips to the beaches of York, Maine, and hiking Mount Agamenticus with his goldendoodle, Charlie.)