WILD ALASKA BLOG
Congress Wants to Hand the Western Arctic Back to Big Oil
The Western Arctic is one of the last vast, wild places left in America. It’s home to caribou herds that travel hundreds of miles to calve, millions of migratory birds from across the globe, and Alaska Native communities who have lived off these lands for generations. At 23 million acres, the National Petroleum Reserve–Alaska (more warmly known as the…
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Alaska Wilderness League Opposes Congressional Attack on Common Sense Protections for Western Arctic
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Date: September 19, 2025 Contact: Anja Semanco | 724-967-2777 | anja@alaskawild.org Alaska Wilderness League Opposes Congressional Attack on Common Sense Protections for Western Arctic Washington, D.C. — Alaska Wilderness League strongly opposes a Congressional Review Act (CRA) resolution introduced by Senator Dan Sullivan and Representative Nick Begich that seeks to overturn the Biden administration’s 2022 National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska (Western…
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Seismic Exploration Explained: Why the Arctic Refuge Is at Risk
The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge is one of the last truly wild places left on Earth. Every spring, caribou travel hundreds of miles to give birth here. Polar bears dig dens in the snow to raise their cubs. Millions of birds migrate from all 50 states to nest on its tundra. This isn’t just Alaska’s backyard. It’s our backyard. A living, breathing…
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Trump Administration Moves to Roll Back Popular Roadless Rule, Threatening Alaska’s Tongass, Chugach, and National Forests Nationwide
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Date: August 27, 2025 Contact: Anja Semanco | 724-967-2777 | anja@alaskawild.org Trump Administration Moves to Roll Back Popular Roadless Rule, Threatening Alaska’s Tongass, Chugach, and National Forests Nationwide WASHINGTON, D.C. – In a sweeping attack on America’s public lands, the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced the start of a rulemaking process to dismantle the…
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After Failed Lease Sales, Alaska Again Gambles Public Money on Arctic Oil
ANCHORAGE, AK — In a quiet but deeply consequential move, the Alaska Industrial Development and Export Authority (AIDEA) has issued a formal request for proposals (RFP) to begin seismic testing in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. The solicitation—AIDEA26-004—invites bids from oilfield services companies to secure approval of exploratory testing during the next four years. A…
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Interior Withdraws Special Area Safeguards in NPR-A, Advancing Oil and Gas Agenda
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Date: 7/28/25 Contact: Andy Moderow | 907-360-3622 | andy@alaskawild.org Today, in response to the announcement that Interior Withdraws Restrictive Special Area Policies in Alaska’s National Petroleum Reserve to Advance Energy Development, Alaska Wilderness League released the following statement: “Today’s action is a direct attack on science and Traditional Knowledge, putting iconic Western Arctic landscapes…
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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…
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We 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…
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House Passes Budget Bill
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Date: 7/3/2025 Contact: Anja Semanco | 724-967-2777 | anja@alaskawild.org In response to the House passage of Trump’s budget bill, Kristen Miller, Executive Director of Alaska Wilderness League, issued the following statement: “We are beyond disappointed that the House just joined the Senate in passing the biggest public land sell-off legislation in a generation. From…
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