• Helped organize the collection and submission of millions of public comments to the Trump administration in opposition to Arctic drilling;
• Mobilized the public to vastly outnumber drilling proponents at public hearings in Alaska and Washington, D.C.;
• Engaged more than 180 lawmakers in the effort to reverse Arctic Refuge drilling language contained in the 2017 tax act;
• Catalyzed an effort that enlisted more than $2.5 trillion worth of investors to urge all the major oil corporations to stay out of this iconic wilderness;
• Worked to mobilize critical polar bear and other scientific voices that helped delay seismic trucks from bringing 90,000 pounds of pressure on this fragile landscape; and
• Elevated the impact Arctic Refuge development will have on Arctic communities, wildlife and our climate on CNN, The New York Times, The Washington Post, ABC News and more.

Beyond the Arctic Refuge, your commitment to the League has provided the necessary resources to stand tall against efforts to remove roadless protections for America’s largest national forest — the 17 million-acre Tongass National Forest in Southeast Alaska. And it has allowed us to join forces with advocates for Alaska’s wild places to speak out against the Pebble Mine project threatening Alaska’s pristine Bristol Bay and speak up for wilderness in the Chugach National Forest. Your generous contributions enabled us to go to court to fight the administration’s illegal reversal of Arctic Ocean protections, to push back against a massive expansion in the Western Arctic, and to oppose a proposed road through the heart of the Izembek National Wildlife Refuge wilderness.

2018 marked the 25th anniversary of Alaska Wilderness League and my first full year as this organization’s executive director. Your support through the years has enabled us to grow from a two-person operation in the basement of a Capitol Hill rowhouse to a team of nearly 20 highly skilled organizers, advocates, communicators and more working full time for Alaska’s national treasures, based in offices in both Washington, D.C., and Anchorage, Alaska. Today we have more than 100,000 online members and supporters from all 50 states.

Thank you for being part of the Alaska Wilderness League family, for caring about Alaska’s awe-inspiring wildlife, its majestic landscapes and the indigenous people who depend on them. Thank you for giving us the privilege of working for your conservation interests. Moreover, thank you for making what we do possible.

Please continue reading for a snapshot of how we put your generous support to work in 2018, and where we are today.