Posts by Anja Semanco
BLM 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…
Read MoreAlaska Wilderness League Honors President Jimmy Carter’s Unparalleled Conservation Legacy
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Date: 12/29/2024 Contact: Anja Semanco | anja@alaskawild.org | 724-967-2777 Alaska Wilderness League Honors President Jimmy Carter’s Unparalleled Conservation Legacy Washington, D.C. — Alaska Wilderness League joins the nation in mourning the passing of former President Jimmy Carter, who passed away at the age of 100. Carter’s extraordinary legacy as a conservationist, particularly in Alaska,…
Read MoreAlaska Wilderness League Applauds Rep. Jared Huffman’s Selection as Ranking Democrat on the House Natural Resources Committee
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Date: 12/17/2024 Contact: Anja Semanco | anja@alaskawild.org | 724-967-2777 Alaska Wilderness League Applauds Rep. Jared Huffman’s Selection as Ranking Democrat on the House Natural Resources Committee Washington, D.C. (Date) – Alaska Wilderness League welcomes the unanimous decision by the House Democratic Caucus to appoint Congressman Jared Huffman (D-Calif.) as the new top Democrat on…
Read MoreThe Arctic’s Alarming Shift: From Climate Regulator to Carbon Source
The Arctic is on fire—literally. As the planet warms, the once-frozen tundra is transforming into something unrecognizable. This year alone, wildfires across the Arctic Circle released 207 million metric tons of carbon into the atmosphere—the equivalent of emissions from 200 coal power plants. For the first time in thousands of years, the Arctic tundra isn’t…
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