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ARCTIC NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE
The Trump administration has completed the first step in its process to hold its first lease sale in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, and could be on the verge of greenlighting seismic exploration on the coastal plain. The administration is rushing forward with plans for destructive oil and gas drilling while disregarding the biological, cultural and climate impacts on a rapidly warming Arctic.
Photo credit: Micah Baird
ARCTIC OCEAN: THE BEAUFORT AND CHUKCHI SEAS
The Trump administration has been looking to replace the recent five-year plan for offshore leasing and kick-start the process of issuing new leases in Alaska’s Beaufort Sea, just off the coast of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. The good news: The Wall Street Journal is reporting that the Trump five-year plan “has been sidelined indefinitely.”
TONGASS NATIONAL FOREST
The Tongass National Forest, America’s largest national forest, continues to be threatened by new attempts to clear-cut rare and valuable old-growth trees. The U.S. Forest Service is in the midst of a planning process to kick-start the largest old-growth logging project in recent U.S. history, and has begun a separate process that could lead to national forests in Alaska being exempted from federal Roadless protections.
Photo credit: Daniel Dietrich/DanielDietrichPhotography.com
NATIONAL PETROLEUM RESERVE-ALASKA
Development in the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska in Alaska's western Arctic has begun, multiple drilling projects are on the horizon, and industry has shifted its focus to gaining access to protected Special Areas, in particular opening critical caribou and migratory bird habitat surrounding Teshekpuk Lake.
CHUGACH NATIONAL FOREST
More than 1 million people visit the Chugach annually from all over the world; however, it is local Alaskans – especially in and around Anchorage – who really utilize what the Chugach has to offer. According to the U.S. Forest Service, the Chugach serves as the “backyard” for half of Alaska’s residents.
Photo credit: Debbie S. Miller
BRISTOL BAY
The Bristol Bay watershed in southwest Alaska boasts the world’s largest sockeye salmon fishery that supports thousands of jobs. Unfortunately, it is currently threatened by the massive Pebble Mine proposal that seeks to construct a massive open-pit mine, putting fish, wildlife and the livelihoods of people dependent on Bristol Bay at risk.