Storytelling on the Kuskokwim: An Update from Polly Andrews
In fall 2022, Alaska Wilderness League was pleased to announce the inaugural recipient of its Adam Kolton Alaska Storytelling Grant: Polly Andrews. Since that time, Polly has remained busy and recently offered an update to the League community, including supporters of the Adam Kolton Memorial Fund whose donations make this grant award possible. The Adam…
Read MorePress Release: GOP Appropriations Bill for Department of Interior Targets Fossil-Fuel Extraction in Alaska, States
Today, Republicans in the House of Representatives introduced an appropriations bill that would recklessly expedite fossil-fuel extraction on America’s public lands and waters in Alaska and other states.
Read MoreMember Spotlight: A Long Overdue Trip to the Arctic Refuge
From fishermen to childcare workers, we all spent the spring and summer of 1989 in the chaos of the massive oil spill – trying to protect nearly a billion juvenile salmon, attending countless town meetings, scooping up oil using fishing boats, cleaning oil drenched birds and witnessing the collapse of the herring fishery.
Read MoreGreat Alaska Migrations
Alaska boasts some of the most incredible wildlife in the U.S., not only for the sheer number of creatures that call Alaska home, but also for the hundreds and thousands of miles so many migratory species cover every year.
Read MoreBill to Provide Lasting Protections for Tongass National Forest, Roadless Areas Nationwide Introduced By Rep. Gallego (D-AZ)
Today, Representative Gallego (D-AZ) and Senator Cantwell (D-WA), along with 15 other lawmakers, reintroduced the Roadless Area Conservation Act (RACA). This legislation would codify the Roadless Rule on 58.5 million acres of national forest land nationwide—including within Alaska.
Read MoreHidden Wonders of the Western Arctic with Peter Mather
After spending over a decade photographing hidden wonders partly in a region inadequately named the “National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska,” Peter pairs first-hand stories with world-class images that show why the Arctic is such a unique and special place.
Read MoreAlaska’s Critical Role in Protecting Global Biological Diversity
In addition to serving as home to 229 federally recognized tribes and the highest proportion of American Indian and Alaska Native people in the U.S., a 2020 study of intact habitats around the world identified 93.6 percent of Alaska’s lands as essential in stabilizing climate and avoiding species extinction. The study emphasized the unique importance of Alaska’s vast landscapes and high carbon storage capacity.
Read MoreProposed Land Exchange in Izembek National Wildlife Refuge Raises Legal Questions
Today the Department of the Interior published a Notice of Intent to prepare a supplemental environmental review of a possible land exchange involving Alaska’s Izembek National Wildlife Refuge for a road.
Read MoreForest Service Announces Inventory of Mature, Old-Growth Trees and Forests
Today, the U.S. Forest Service announced a process to protect mature and old-growth trees and forests as part of its strategy to help federally managed forests cope with effects from climate change. A rulemaking process will come next, including a public comment period to gather input on new policies under consideration.
Read More