Posts by Anja Semanco
Statement from Alaska Wilderness League on BLM’s Call for Nominations in the Western Arctic
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Date: October 21, 2025 Contact: Anja Semanco | 724-967-2777 | anja@alaskawild.org Statement from Alaska Wilderness League on BLM’s Call for Nominations in the Western Arctic Washington, D.C.—In response to today’s announcement that the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is issuing a call for nominations and comments on an upcoming 2025 Western Arctic Oil and Gas Lease Sale, Andy Moderow, senior director of policy…
Read MoreRep. Nick Begich Ignores Government Shutdown, Pushes Drilling Resolution
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Date: October 14, 2025 Contact: Anja Semanco | 724-967-2777 | anja@alaskawild.org Rep. Nick Begich Ignores Government Shutdown, Pushes Drilling Resolution WASHINGTON, D.C. — Late last week, despite an ongoing government shutdown, Rep. Nick Begich (R-Alaska) introduced a resolution (H.J.Res. 131) to overturn the Biden administration’s Record of Decision (ROD) that provided stronger protections for the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. This resolution aims to utilize the Congressional Review Act (CRA) to strike Biden’s 2024 Arctic Refuge action, in a…
Read MoreAmerica First? Not When Public Lands Are Being Used to Profit a Foreign Company.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Date: October 6, 2025 Contact: Anja Semanco | 724-967-2777 | anja@alaskawild.org ANCHORAGE, ALASKA — Alaska Wilderness League strongly condemns the Trump administration’s attempted reversal of the Ambler Road Project. This 211-mile industrial corridor would carve through Alaska’s pristine wilderness, threatening wildlife, communities, and public lands. In response, Alaska Wilderness League State Director Maddie Halloran released the following statement: “Why is the federal…
Read MoreTongass and Chugach at Risk: Public Speaks Out Against Roadless Rule Repeal
We recently saw the close of the public comment period on the Trump administration’s proposed rollback of the Roadless Rule, a cornerstone of U.S. forest conservation. In just three weeks, more than 600,000 Americans submitted comments urging the administration to leave the Rule in place—a remarkable show of support that underscores how deeply people across the country care about public…
Read MoreCongress Wants to Hand the Western Arctic Back to Big Oil
The Western Arctic is one of the last vast, wild places left in America. It’s home to caribou herds that travel hundreds of miles to calve, millions of migratory birds from across the globe, and Alaska Native communities who have lived off these lands for generations. At 23 million acres, the National Petroleum Reserve–Alaska (more warmly known as the…
Read MoreAlaska Wilderness League Opposes Congressional Attack on Common Sense Protections for Western Arctic
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Date: September 19, 2025 Contact: Anja Semanco | 724-967-2777 | anja@alaskawild.org Alaska Wilderness League Opposes Congressional Attack on Common Sense Protections for Western Arctic Washington, D.C. — Alaska Wilderness League strongly opposes a Congressional Review Act (CRA) resolution introduced by Senator Dan Sullivan and Representative Nick Begich that seeks to overturn the Biden administration’s 2022 National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska (Western…
Read MoreTrump Administration Moves to Roll Back Popular Roadless Rule, Threatening Alaska’s Tongass, Chugach, and National Forests Nationwide
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Date: August 27, 2025 Contact: Anja Semanco | 724-967-2777 | anja@alaskawild.org Trump Administration Moves to Roll Back Popular Roadless Rule, Threatening Alaska’s Tongass, Chugach, and National Forests Nationwide WASHINGTON, D.C. – In a sweeping attack on America’s public lands, the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced the start of a rulemaking process to dismantle the…
Read MoreAfter Failed Lease Sales, Alaska Again Gambles Public Money on Arctic Oil
ANCHORAGE, AK — In a quiet but deeply consequential move, the Alaska Industrial Development and Export Authority (AIDEA) has issued a formal request for proposals (RFP) to begin seismic testing in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. The solicitation—AIDEA26-004—invites bids from oilfield services companies to secure approval of exploratory testing during the next four years. A…
Read MoreInterior Withdraws Special Area Safeguards in NPR-A, Advancing Oil and Gas Agenda
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Date: 7/28/25 Contact: Andy Moderow | 907-360-3622 | andy@alaskawild.org Today, in response to the announcement that Interior Withdraws Restrictive Special Area Policies in Alaska’s National Petroleum Reserve to Advance Energy Development, Alaska Wilderness League released the following statement: “Today’s action is a direct attack on science and Traditional Knowledge, putting iconic Western Arctic landscapes…
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