by Erica Watson | Jan 14, 2020
The current IAP was only recently completed, after years of working on a compromise, and yet this administration is determined to see Arctic Alaska only as a place to exploit for industrial profit,” said Ryan Marsh, Arctic Program Coordinator for the Northern Alaska Environmental Center. “The Reserve is home to some of the richest lands and waters in Alaska, including Teshekpuk Lake and its surrounding wetlands. It is home to hundreds of species of migratory birds, caribou, polar bears, as well as the communities who have been stewards of these lands since long before they were designated a ‘petroleum reserve.’ Given all we know about the Western Arctic, and all we know about the impacts of climate change, especially in the North, it’s insulting and destructive that our government is advocating for more extraction, not less.
by Erica Watson | Oct 30, 2019
Read or download more information about joining our Board of Directors, and contact board president Lois Barger at lois.rundell@gmail.com with any questions. Information for Board Applicants Board of Directors Job Description Board Member...
by Erica Watson | Oct 15, 2019
Overlapping plans and pushing boundaries in the Western Arctic The Willow Master Development Plan (MDP) refers to the proposal by ConocoPhillips Alaska, Inc. to build up to five drill sites of up to 50 wells each, a central processing facility, an operations center...
by Sam Schillinger | Sep 24, 2019
This summer Arctic program intern, Sam Schillinger, traveled from New York, where she grew up and attends school at Parson’s School of Design, and experienced the record-breaking summer in Fairbanks. Like many of us, though the beauty and richness of the landscapes...
by Erica Watson | Aug 28, 2019
BLM Now Accepting Comments on Ambler Road Draft Environmental Impact Statement The Ambler Road Draft Environmental Impact Statement was released on Friday, August 23rd, along with a schedule of public hearings. The comment period was extended, and now ends on...
by Erica Watson | Jul 17, 2019
After a week of dense wildfire smoke enveloping Fairbanks, cleaner air over the weekend was a relief, allowing people to participate safely in the 23rd Annual Run for the Refuge on Sunday, July 14. 218 runners and walkers, including several youth participants, took...
by Erica Watson | Jul 11, 2019
The Northern Alaska Environmental Center supports the draft Serious State Implementation Plan (Serious SIP) prepared by the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC). The Serious SIP is in response to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)’s June 2017...
by Erica Watson (she/her) & Lisa Baraff (she/her) | Jul 3, 2019
This was originally published as a Fairbanks Daily News-Miner Community Perspective on June 30, 2019: Offshore Drilling: It’s Time to Face Reality In a May 31 editorial, the Daily News-Miner addressed this spring’s legal decision upholding protections for...
by Solaris Gillispie (they/them/theirs) | Jun 27, 2019
June is Pride month, which means it’s the time of year we celebrate the historic Stonewall riots and the trans women that kicked off the LGBTQ+ rights movement in the United States. As the month comes to a close, I thought I’d share some of the ways Pride and being a...
by Erica Watson | Jun 3, 2019
On May 1, members of the House Natural Resource Committee made a historic vote to move H.R. 1146, the Arctic Cultural and Coastal Plain Protection Act, forward. Today, we sent those members of Congress a thank you letter signed by 181 Alaskans from 43 communities,...
