WILD ALASKA BLOG

Your Love Has Kept Alaska Wild

By Hilary Stamper | February 13, 2024

Who do we love? Alaska Wilderness League advocates like you, that’s who! In appreciation for everyone who has raised their voice to make sure Alaska’s wild landscapes endure to support vibrant communities and abundant wildlife for generations to come, we hope you enjoy this little video with footage from our partner, world-renown photographer Florian Schulz.…

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Little-Known “D1” Lands Protecting 28 Million Acres in Alaska Under Threat

By Anja Semanco | January 12, 2024

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.

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House Committee Moves Forward With Arctic Extraction Bill

By Anja Semanco | December 6, 2023

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.

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How Amazing Arctic Animals Survive An Alaskan Winter

By Anja Semanco | December 1, 2023

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.

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The League Honors President Jimmy Carter With The Mardy Murie Lifetime Achievement Award

By Anja Semanco | November 16, 2023

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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Unraveling the Dance of El Niño in the Arctic

By Guest Blog | October 31, 2023

El Niño’s reach extends to the Arctic Ocean, triggering a rise in sea surface temperatures which lead to Arctic ocean warming. This seemingly subtle change enacts profound consequences. As the ice in the Arctic Ocean melts at an accelerated pace, it alters the balance of this sensitive ecosystem, impacting polar bears, seals, and countless other species. This shrinking ice cover also contributes to rising sea levels, impacting coastlines worldwide.

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Alaska Wilderness League Applauds Appointment of Laura Daniel-Davis To Acting Deputy Secretary 

By Anja Semanco | October 31, 2023

Today, Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland announced that President Biden will designate Laura Daniel-Davis as Acting Deputy Secretary, replacing outgoing Deputy Secretary Tommy Beaudreau. Daniel-Davis enters this position with more than three decades of public policy, non-profit and government experience focused on public lands conservation and partnerships.

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Honoring President Jimmy Carter & His Conservation Legacy  

By Debbie Miller | October 17, 2023

Alaska Wilderness League celebrates its 30th anniversary, and honors Jimmy Carter, a U.S. leader devoted to protecting the environment and one of Alaska’s greatest conservation heroes.

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Ambler Road: A Disastrous Proposed Industrial Corridor

By Anja Semanco | October 3, 2023

The history of the proposed Ambler Road project has been ongoing for years. In 2020, the U.S. Department of Interior, under the Trump administration, approved federal permits for the road. Thanks to that advocacy, and thousands of other engaged activists from the Ambler region, Alaska, and across the nation, we now are close to exactly what we requested.

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Storytelling on the Kuskokwim with Polly Andrews

By Anja Semanco | September 20, 2023

Amidst planning and preparations for activities in late summer and early fall, Polly Andrews graciously offered a new composition and song as a gift to Alaska Wilderness League. In doing so, Polly shared that the song was made possible in part by the support of the 2022 Adam Kolton Alaska Storytelling Grant Award, enabling her to partner with Yup’ik (Ossie Kairaiuak, Chefornak) and Cup’ik (Michael Ulroan, Chevak) artists. Those partnerships will continue thanks to the grant award, in addition to upcoming workshops with the Kuspuk School District (in the Kuskokwim River village of Lower Kalskag) and North Star Behavioral Health center.

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