Northern Alaska Environmental Center
Promoting conservation of the environment and sustainable resource stewardship in Interior and Arctic Alaska through education and advocacy

The Northern Alaska Environmental Center
The Northern Alaska Environmental Center is an Alaska-based conservation organization dedicated to protecting the land, waters and wildlife of Interior and Arctic Alaska for current and future generations to use and enjoy. We understand the unique challenges of living in Alaska and seek to balance natural resource development with conserving what makes Alaska special.

The Northern Center is committed to defending special places in Northern and Interior Alaska from irresponsible extraction activities, and promoting local initiatives to protect the health and way of life of people living in Fairbanks and Interior Alaska.
We acknowledge that we work throughout the unceded territories of the Indigenous Peoples of Alaska; that our office is located on the traditional territories of the Lower Tanana Dené Athabascan Peoples. We honor the ancestral and ongoing land and water stewardship and place-based knowledge of the peoples of these territories.
Our Guiding Principles
- Believes that a healthy environment is a prerequisite for a sustainable economy.
- Bases conservation decisions on sound science and ethics.
- Uses our stakeholders’ energy, expertise and enthusiasm to strengthen the organization.
- Seeks opportunities to collaborate with federal, state and local government agencies, and with other organizations to enhance our effectiveness.
- Supports the establishment, protection and appropriate stewardship of designated Wilderness areas, as well other less-restrictive management that protects sustainable uses of non-Wilderness wild lands.
- Values healthy and intact ecosystems where habitat fragmentation is minimized and wildlands are respected.
- Favors stewardship over intensive management of natural resources, in order to meet the needs of the present generation without jeopardizing the ability of future generations to meet their needs.
- Encourages the implementation of clean energy technologies and management practices that minimize air, water and noise pollution and impacts on habitat.
- Supports public processes—including use of legal, legislative, and administrative systems—in natural resource use decisions.
- Expects to comment on issues in our areas of expertise and interest.
- Puts our greatest effort into issues whose results are irreversible or long lasting.
- Employs clear, honest communication and constructive dialogue.
Northern Center Programs
Latest News

Transitions at the Northern Center
Yesterday, we shared the news that Scott Fogarty is leaving his position at the Northern Center. Scott sent this message to our community: Like many of you, these recent years have shown me how unpredictable life can be, and taught me to adapt to the unexpected. In...

Biden administration’s Ambler road announcement doesn’t go far enough
This week, the Biden administration acknowledged some of the deficiencies in the previous administration’s approval of the right of way permit for the road to Ambler, suspending the project for now while it conducts a review. However, many of the permits for the road...

Gratitude & Vision: Thank You for Looking Back & Ahead With Us
Last week, we held our annual fundraiser, the Nights for the North, and we are truly blown away by your support! Our virtual auction raised more than double our $5,050 goal – funds which directly support our work to protect northern Alaska. So much of the last year and a half has been defined by uncertainty and shifting landscapes – both literally and figuratively – and we are so grateful for the stability that you – our members and supporters – bring to our work.
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