Posts by Anja Semanco
What the Heck is AIDEA
The inside scoop on a floundering, publicly-funded Alaska corporation The Alaska Industrial Development and Export Authority — known as AIDEA — was created in 1967 and is a public corporation of the State of Alaska with a supposed mission to, “provide financing for Alaska’s business community, to expand the economy of the state, and to…
Read More100+ Organizations and Businesses Call on President Biden and Secretary Haaland to Realize Opportunities for Conservation and Our Climate in America’s Arctic
Today, more than 100 organizations and businesses sent a letter to President Biden and Secretary Haaland outlining the opportunities the administration has to take bold action in America’s Arctic.
Read MoreCourt Upholds Suspending Oil & Gas Leases in Arctic Refuge, Dismisses Claims from AIDEA
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE August 8, 2023 Contact: Aileo Weinmann | aileo@alaskawild.org Court Upholds Suspending Oil & Gas Leases in Arctic Refuge, Dismisses Claims from AIDEA “We celebrate the court’s decision because it confirms the right of President Biden and the Department of the Interior to correct the Trump administration’s mistakes, restoring thoughtful decision-making that honors the…
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 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 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.
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