Posts by Anja Semanco
New Reconciliation Bill is a Billionaire Land Grab That Sacrifices Alaska and Silences the Public
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Date: 05/02/2025 Contact: Anja Semanco | 724-967-2777 | anja@alaskawild.org Washington, D.C. – The release of House Natural Resource’s budget reconciliation bill text late last night reveals provisions that would dramatically expand oil and gas development in Alaska’s Arctic regions while limiting environmental review and restricting judicial oversight. “Alaska’s public lands and waters are directly…
Read MoreLawmakers, Indigenous Leaders, and Conservationists Reintroduce Arctic Refuge Wilderness Bill Amid Unprecedented Threats
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Date: 4/29/2025 Contact: Anja Semanco | 724-967-2777 | anja@alaskawild.org Washington, D.C. — Today, a powerful coalition of congressional champions, Indigenous leaders, and public lands advocates gathered to announce the reintroduction of the Arctic Refuge Protection Act, a bill that would permanently protect the Coastal Plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge as designated wilderness—the highest level of…
Read MoreAlaska Wilderness League Honors the Legacy of Rep. Raúl Grijalva, Champion for Public Lands
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Date: 3/14/2025 Contact: Anja Semanco | anja@alaskawild.org | 724-967-2777 Alaska Wilderness League Honors the Legacy of Rep. Raúl Grijalva, Champion for Public Lands Washington, D.C. – Alaska Wilderness League joins the conservation community in mourning the loss of Representative Raúl Grijalva, a steadfast champion for America’s wild places and an unwavering defender of the…
Read MoreBLM Pick Prioritizes Polluters Over People—What’s at Stake for Alaska
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Date: 2/14/2025 Contact: Anja Semanco | 724-967-2777 | anja@alaskawild.org Following the nomination of Kathleen Sgamma, a long-time oil and gas proponent to lead the federal Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Alex Cohen, Government Affairs Director at Alaska Wilderness League, released the following statement: “Sgamma’s nomination isn’t just a conflict of interest—it’s a five-alarm fire…
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 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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