In Alaska
Drilling in the Arctic Refuge: A Financial Disaster and a Threat to Our Future
In 2017, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act signed by the Trump administration included a highly controversial provision: it mandated two oil and gas lease sales in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. The first sale, held on January 6, 2021, during the final days of the Trump presidency, was a bust. Now, the second lease…
Read MorePresident Biden Finalizes Record of Decision for the Arctic Refuge
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Date: 12/9/2024 Contact: Anja Semanco | anja@alaskawild.org | 724-967-2777 President Biden Finalizes Record of Decision for the Arctic Refuge Washington, D.C. — Today, the Biden administration released the legally mandated leasing Record of Decision (ROD) and Notice of Lease Sale for the Coastal Plain region of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. This marks…
Read MoreWe Will Never Stop Defending Wild Alaska
“On behalf of Alaska Wilderness League, I am deeply disappointed by this week’s election results. However, we are not disheartened.,” said Kristen Miller, executive director. “Our commitment to protecting Alaska’s lands and waters remains unchanged despite the storm brewing on the horizon. For decades, we have fought against all odds to protect wild Alaska. As we…
Read MoreAlaska Wilderness League Champions New Special Areas in the Western Arctic
In April 2024, the Biden administration made a bold move for conservation, protecting over 13 million acres of Special Areas in America’s Arctic. But they didn’t stop there; the administration also rolled out a new process to ramp up protections in the Western Arctic with even more Special Areas. This initiative kicked off with a…
Read MoreA Timeline of a Shifting Political Landscape in the National Petroleum Reserve – Alaska
The National Petroleum Reserve – Alaska (Western Arctic) is our nation’s largest single unit of public land, spanning nearly 23 million acres (roughly the size of Indiana) across Alaska’s North Slope. The Western Arctic is recognized for its globally significant habitat that sustains essential wildlife, like migratory birds, caribou, polar bears, walruses, beluga whales and…
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:
Read MoreSecretary 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 MoreFrom Arctic Village to Advocacy: Danica Carey’s Journey to Protect America’s Arctic
In July of 2023, blog author Danica Carey traveled to the Arctic Refuge with four other women as part of a collaboration between Alaska Wilderness League and Love is King. This blog interview is an account of her experience, both in the Arctic Refuge and then more recently advocating in D.C. It’s been about a…
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…
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