Posts Tagged ‘Arctic Refuge’
What Good is a Public Comment Period?
We all learn from a young age about the three branches of government, but what they actually mean for protecting Alaska’s public lands often feels murky. How we affect change varies drastically based on which branch we’re trying to shake. When it comes to decisions like drilling in the Arctic Refuge, protecting Special Areas, or…
Read MoreWe Lost a Vote—But Not the Fight
Watching the budget bill pass hurt. There’s no way around it. Despite everything we poured into this fight—the long nights, the relentless pressure, the stories shared, the ground gained—Congress has once again sold-out Alaska and our public lands to billionaires. In a budget deal led by President Trump and his allies, we saw sweeping new…
Read MoreAlaska Under Attack: The Four-Front Fight for Our Public Lands
Let’s not sugarcoat it: Alaska is in the crosshairs. From the edges of the Arctic Ocean to the old-growth of the Tongass, the Trump administration is launching a full-scale attack on some of the wildest places left in America. They’re gutting protections, fast-tracking drilling and logging, and tossing aside Indigenous rights and climate science—all to…
Read MoreA Clear Message for Congress
The Arctic Refuge isn’t just tundra and snow. It’s a place where thousands of caribou migrate each year to give birth. Where polar bears den, migratory birds from six continents rest their wings, and the Gwich’in people have lived in deep connection with the land for thousands of years. It’s sacred. It’s alive. And right…
Read MoreAlaska Wilderness League Criticizes Court Ruling Allowing AIDEA to Retain Arctic Refuge Leases
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Date: 3/26/2025 Contact: Andy Moderow | Andy@alaskawild.org | 907-360-3622 Alaska Wilderness League Criticizes Court Ruling Allowing AIDEA to Retain Arctic Refuge Leases Decision ignores legal flaws in the leasing program and threatens the future of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the U.S. District Court in Alaska ruled that…
Read MoreWhat 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 MoreArctic Refuge Drilling Fails Again: A Victory for Conservation and Common Sense
Big news from the Arctic Refuge: The latest oil and gas lease sale for the Coastal Plain bombed—not a single bid. Zero. Nada. This was supposed to be a cornerstone of Trump’s 2017 Tax Act’s promise to generate $2.2 billion for the American people. Instead, it’s yet another reminder that drilling the Arctic isn’t just…
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