Posts by Sophia Grande
What the heck Is Budget Reconciliation—And Why Does It Always Come for the Arctic?
Budget reconciliation might sound like an obscure congressional process, but it’s actually been a backdoor tactic for trying to force Arctic drilling into the federal budget for decades. Originally designed to streamline tax and spending decisions, this process has been repeatedly exploited to push through controversial policies that wouldn’t be passed on their own. Now,…
Read MoreDoug Burgum: The Billionaire Governor Turned Trump’s DOI Secretary
Doug Burgum may not be a household name, but his new job as Secretary of the Interior in the Trump administration puts him in charge of decisions that will impact millions of acres of public land and water—especially in Alaska. As the former governor of North Dakota and a billionaire businessman, Burgum now leads the…
Read MoreDrill, Deny, Destroy: Trump’s First Day Actions on Alaska’s Resource Future
On his very first day in office, Trump made it abundantly clear that his administration intends to prioritize fossil fuel expansion, climate denial, and political theater over meaningful governance. His inaugural address, early executive actions, and policy signals left no doubt: the next four years will bring an attempted, all-out assault on Alaska, environmental protections,…
Read MoreAlaska Wilderness League Condemns President Trump’s Sweeping Actions Targeting Alaska’s Public Lands
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Date: 1/21/2025 Contact: Sophia Grande | sophia@alaskawild.org | 240-447-7715 Alaska Wilderness League Condemns President Trump’s Sweeping Actions Targeting Alaska’s Public Lands Washington, D.C. – Last night, hours after being sworn into office, President Donald Trump signed an Alaska-focused Executive Order that intends to expand fossil fuel extraction and mining on tens of…
Read MoreNational Wildlife Refuge Week: The Meaning of Refuge
This National Wildlife Refuge Week, we’re celebrating Alaska’s Izembek, Kenai, and Arctic wildlife refuges and highlighting the need to protect them.
Read MoreAlaska Wilderness League Urges Biden Administration to Establish Protections for New Special Areas in America’s Arctic
Following the completion of the Department of the Interior’s Request for Information (RFI) process on potential new and expanded Special Areas in the Western Arctic, Alaska Wilderness League Executive Director Kristen Miller released the following statement:
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