ConocoPhillips’ Willow Oil Development Proposal Threatens Landscapes, Communities and Our Climate
Imagine a place about the size of Maine, with a breathtaking expanse of open tundra, countless lakes and sparkling ponds, meandering rivers and coastal lagoons, and the majestic Brooks Range rising in the distance. The western Arctic is a boundless wilderness that stretches our imagination to a time when buffalo freely roamed across the Great Plains.
Read MoreBurgum Moves to Revive Arctic Drilling, Selling Out Public Lands to Billionaires
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Date: 2/4/2025 Contact: Anja Semanco | anja@alaskawild.org | 724-967-2777 Following this week’s Secretarial Orders issued by DOI Secretary Doug Burgum, Kristen Miller, Executive Director of Alaska Wilderness League, released the following statement: “In just days, Burgum has proven he’s nothing more than a puppet for Trump’s excessive giveaways to billionaires,” said Kristen Miller, executive…
Read MoreThe League’s Official Statement on Doug Burgum’s Confirmation as Interior Secretary
“Trump’s allies are ready to gamble away Alaska’s wild places for profits that don’t exist, and Doug Burgum will just be another rubber stamp for Trump’s reckless energy agenda. That isn’t the leadership our public lands need,” said Kristen Miller, executive director of Alaska Wilderness League. “Burgum’s loyalty to Trump ignores both the economic realities…
Read MoreDoug Burgum: The Billionaire Governor Turned Trump’s DOI Secretary
Doug Burgum may not be a household name, but his new job as Secretary of the Interior in the Trump administration puts him in charge of decisions that will impact millions of acres of public land and water—especially in Alaska. As the former governor of North Dakota and a billionaire businessman, Burgum now leads the…
Read MoreMemories with President Carter in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge
See the original story in the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner here. Memories with President Carter in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge By Debbie S. Miller In the spring of 1990, I finished my first book, “Midnight Wilderness: Journeys in Alaska’s Arctic National Wildlife Refuge,” based on 14 years of wilderness adventures in our greatest wildlife refuge. I…
Read MoreDrill, Deny, Destroy: Trump’s First Day Actions on Alaska’s Resource Future
On his very first day in office, Trump made it abundantly clear that his administration intends to prioritize fossil fuel expansion, climate denial, and political theater over meaningful governance. His inaugural address, early executive actions, and policy signals left no doubt: the next four years will bring an attempted, all-out assault on Alaska, environmental protections,…
Read MoreAlaska Wilderness League Condemns President Trump’s Sweeping Actions Targeting Alaska’s Public Lands
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Date: 1/21/2025 Contact: Sophia Grande | sophia@alaskawild.org | 240-447-7715 Alaska Wilderness League Condemns President Trump’s Sweeping Actions Targeting Alaska’s Public Lands Washington, D.C. – Last night, hours after being sworn into office, President Donald Trump signed an Alaska-focused Executive Order that intends to expand fossil fuel extraction and mining on tens of…
Read MoreArctic Refuge Drilling Fails Again: A Victory for Conservation and Common Sense
Big news from the Arctic Refuge: The latest oil and gas lease sale for the Coastal Plain bombed—not a single bid. Zero. Nada. This was supposed to be a cornerstone of Trump’s 2017 Tax Act’s promise to generate $2.2 billion for the American people. Instead, it’s yet another reminder that drilling the Arctic isn’t just…
Read MoreBiden Administration Releases Report for Western Arctic
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Date: 1/16/2025 Contact: Anja Semanco | anja@alaskawild.org | 724-967-2777 Biden Administration Releases Report for Western Arctic Washington, D.C. — The Department of the Interior today released its report in response to the 2024 Request for Information on whether to expand existing Special Areas or establish new ones in the Western Arctic. Kristen Miller,…
Read MoreAnother Arctic Lease Sale Fails
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Date: 1/08/2025 Contact: Anja Semanco | 724-967-2777 | anja@alaskawild.org Another Arctic Lease Sale Fails A Clear Sign Drilling the Arctic is Bad Business Washington, D.C. – The Department of the Interior canceled Friday’s lease sale on the Coastal Plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge after receiving no bids from oil and gas companies. This…
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