Posts by Anja Semanco
Secretary Haaland Secures 28 Million Acres of Land Protections for Alaska
Today, the Biden administration and Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland announced an order to solidify protections for 28 million acres of Alaska.
Read MoreWhat the Chevron Ruling Means for the League
Since 1984 – under what was known as the “Chevron doctrine” – courts in the United States deferred to agency interpretations of ambiguous laws passed by Congress. This gave federal agencies the leniency and power to interpret unclear laws, under the idea that agencies – with expertise in applicable science, public consultation, and a depth…
Read MoreBiden Administration Secures Multiple Protections For Alaska
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE June 28, 2024 Contact: Anja Semanco | anja@alaskawild.org | 724-967-2777 Biden Administration Secures Multiple Protections For Alaska Washington D.C. – Today, the Biden administration announced a set of measures aimed at protecting millions of acres of Alaska, marking the next step toward securing prosperity for local Alaskan communities by preserving intact public lands and…
Read MoreHouse Republican Majority Pushes Forward With Anti-Arctic Riders
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE June 27, 2024 Contact: Anja Semanco | anja@alaskawild.org | 724-967-2777 House Republican Majority Pushes Forward With Anti-Arctic Riders Pro-polluter appropriations bill threatens America’s Arctic Washington, D.C. – Alaska Wilderness League expresses profound disappointment at today’s House Appropriations release of an Interior appropriations bill. The bill reads like a wish list for big oil, packed with…
Read MoreBiden Finalizes Strengthened Conservation Protections for America’s Arctic
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE April 19, 2024 Contact: Anja Semanco | anja@alaskawild.org Biden Finalizes Strengthened Conservation Protections for America’s Arctic 13 million acres of Special Areas receive expanded protections Washington, D.C. – Today, the Biden administration released a final regulation to provide lasting protections for nearly 13 million acres of Special Areas in the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska…
Read MoreLittle-Known “D1” Lands Protecting 28 Million Acres in Alaska Under Threat
In 1971, President Richard Nixon (surprisingly enough) passed the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act, which at the time was the largest land claims settlement in U.S. history. One of the most impressive features of the bill was section 17(d)(1) which gave the Interior Secretary the authority to set portions of that land aside to be protected for subsistence ways of life, cultural relationships with the land, and protection for wildlife.
Read MoreHouse Committee Moves Forward With Arctic Extraction Bill
Today, the U.S. House Committee on Natural Resources voted to advance Rep. Stauber’s “Alaska’s Right to Produce Act of 2023” (HR 6285). If passed into law, this bill would not only reverse the recent safeguards the Biden administration put in place to protect more than 10 million acres of the Western Arctic, but it would also undo the cancelation of leases in the Arctic Refuge.
Read MoreHow Amazing Arctic Animals Survive An Alaskan Winter
While fall is evident just about everywhere in the lower 48, winter is already moving into Alaska. In honor of the season, please meet a few of the Arctic’s most incredible animals — creatures who endure extreme, dynamic conditions in their own extraordinary way.
Read MoreThe League Honors President Jimmy Carter With The Mardy Murie Lifetime Achievement Award
In early November, the League hosted a spectacular event at the Burke Museum Museum of Natural History and Culture in Seattle to honor President Jimmy Carter, announce this year’s recipient of our Adam Kolton Storytelling Grant Award, and celebrate our dedicated board who continues to support the League all year long in our tireless fight to protect America’s Arctic.
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