Posts by Anja Semanco
Press 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.
Read MoreChubb Insurance Bans Underwriting Arctic Refuge Drilling
Chubb insurance company officially signed a new policy prohibiting the underwriting of oil and gas extraction projects in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (as well as other government-protected conservation areas).
Read MoreExxonMobil Says They Are Not Interested in Drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE April 17, 2023 Washington, D.C. — Industry giant ExxonMobil has informed shareholders in a new proxy statement that the company has no plans for new oil and gas exploration or development in Alaska’s Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. ExxonMobil’s announcement is another strong indication that major oil companies view drilling in the Arctic…
Read MoreAlaska Wilderness League Appeals Court Ruling, Seeks to Halt ConocoPhillips’ Willow Project
Alaska Wilderness League was among six groups that filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court challenging the Biden administration’s approval of ConocoPhillips’ Willow oil and gas project in Alaska’s Arctic. The organization’s attorneys also filed for a preliminary injunction in the case, asking the court to step in before ConocoPhillips started a race to road construction. Today, the court denied the injunction, allowing construction to proceed, with bulldozers poised to tear across the tundra.
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