...can you spare a few minutes to share your opinions with us? |
Every two weeks, we send a condensed eNewsletter like this one which is intended to inform you on current conservation priorities, provide you with tools to take action, and summarize upcoming or recent Northern Center events.
We don’t want to clog your inbox, so we keep things brief and not too frequent. However, many of you have mentioned an interest in more in-depth information on specific issues you care about. To provide more of that detailed, in-depth coverage, we are proposing a monthly subscription system that would function similarly to Patreon. Please fill out this survey to let us know how we're doing overall, and indicate whether you would be interested in subscribing to get more news from our programs.
Below, you'll find several other opportunities to engage with and support the conservation work Northern Center is doing. |
Jill Richie on Ground Truth and more
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After her inspiring talk at the official unveiling of this year's featured art, Jill Richie has gathered some of her key points into an article which we published on our website earlier today.
We highly recommend reading the full article, and saving the date for our annual Night for the North on November 17 when you'll have a chance to bid on the original painting. |
Two Mining Comment Opportunities |
Alaska Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has a public comment opportunity open for a permit amendment related to mineral exploration at the Treasure Creek site. The applicant, Felix Gold, is requesting to amend and extend their hardrock exploration program. Deadline for comments is May 1, 2023.
More information about this mineral exploration permit amendment, and how to comment, can be found here.
Alaska DNR is also considering opening approximately 720 acres of state land on Murphy Dome to mineral entry. The same applicant, Felix Gold, has requested that DNR reopen entry to lands previously closed under a Mineral Closing Order to allow exploration. Mineral Closing Orders help protect neighborhoods and businesses from adjacent mineral development and should be maintained or expanded by DNR, not rescinded. Comments on this issue will be accepted until May 22, 2023.
More information about the Murphy Dome mineral entry proposal Permit and comment information can be found here. |
Join the Northern Center Staff or Board! |
Laramie Maxwell Ardissonno has stepped down as President of the Northern Center Board. Laramie so enjoyed being a part of the Center’s work. She has moved to Washington’s Methow Valley and will be spending more time with her one year old son, Royal, and her twenty six year old horse, Wally. She intends to stay engaged in the Northern Center community from afar. We will miss Laramie, but look forward to staying in touch!
Meanwhile, we are still accepting applications for the Arctic Program Coordinator position. This person will work to honor, respect, and enhance communications between Indigenous and Alaska-based groups on environmental justice campaigns in Arctic Alaska. This position will increase capacity for land and water defense in Arctic Alaska and ensure communication and coordination between Alaska-based partners and national defense campaigns.
If you are interested in serving on our Board or joining our Staff, please email Lois Barger at lois@northern.org. For more information on the Arctic Program Coordinator position, click here. Please share these opportunities with your networks.
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Mining Regulatory Clarity Act would put more public lands at risk |
This week, Senator Catherine Cortez Masto and Senator Jim Risch introduced the Mining Regulatory Clarity Act, which proposes to make more public lands available to mining companies and prioritize mining over all other uses, under the guise of supporting the clean energy transition.
The US already operates under the 150+ year old Mining Law of 1872, which provides little to no protection for communities or public lands facing mineral extraction. This proposed Act would effectively block any other public land use in favor of mining, allowing mining companies to lay claims, with or without proof of a valuable deposit. The US desperately needs meaningful mining reform, especially in the midst of a green energy transition, but that reform must expand and improve protections for communities, landscapes, and sacred sites, not remove them. |
Tonight: GVEA members Rally & Public Meeting
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Our partners at Fairbanks Climate Action Coalition will host a Rally for Renewables tonight, April 27th at 5:30pm outside the Hering Auditorium (901 Airport Way)! Join the rally to express gratitude for the steps GVEA has taken and voice the next steps needed to achieve a future of renewable energy and climate justice.
If you’re a member owner of GVEA (meaning you pay them an electric bill in your name), we encourage you to attend and comment at GVEA’s Annual Meeting starting at 6:30pm following the rally at the Hering Auditorium.
Please reach out to kenzley@fbxclimateaction.org with any questions and learn more by clicking here.
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Do you have a guest room or cabin that will be available this summer? We are seeking one or two generous people to house our TWO summer interns. Thank you to our members who housed interns in the past! Contact Lois at lois@northern.org if you have questions or would like to volunteer your space.
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“Recycling can deliver new battery materials without the expense and environmental impact of new mining. It is extremely hard to develop new mines in the U.S., but the federal government is lavishing funds on new battery recycling plants. The revamped EV tax credits also call for increasing shares of domestically sourced batteries and battery materials.” - Click here to read more about the possibilities of recycling.
- On Wednesday morning, a group of protestors blocked off a roadway in the DC area as part of a demonstration opposing the Willow project.
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Comprehending caribou in the oil patch - Read this UAF article about the Central Arctic Herd and how these caribou react to oil fields during different seasons.
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Researchers compared biodiversity hotspots around the globe with existing or planned mineral, oil, and gas extraction projects, seeing significant overlaps that will pose challenges for policy makers as they balance global conservation goals with the economic opportunity of energy generation and resource extraction.
Do you have a No Road to Ambler sweatshirt or tee shirt? We'd love to see where you're wearing it. Send a photo of yourself in your No Road to Ambler sweatshirt to katie@northern.org and include a sentence or two about why you oppose this road. We're hoping to share images from all over Alaska in the coming months, and would love to include our Northern Center supporters. Don't have a sweatshirt yet? Get one here.
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The Northern Alaska Environmental Center is a nonprofit and depends on the contributions of its members and supporters. You can donate any time by going to
northern.org/donate. Thank you for continuing to make our advocacy possible! |
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| April 29: Creamer's Field Spring Migration Celebration
This Saturday, head to Creamer's Field for crafts, wildlife viewing, nature walks, and an opportunity to connect with local outdoor organizations. Have a few hours to spare? Volunteer with us to help distribute information! |
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| May 4: Powering Up! Alaska's Just Energy Future
Join the Alaska Climate Alliance and Alaska Just Transition Collective for a statewide conversation about how renewable energy policies in this legislative session can advance Alaska’s Just Transition and take action to support renewable energy with others in your community! |
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MISSION
The Northern Alaska Environmental Center promotes conservation of the environment and sustainable resource stewardship in Interior and Arctic Alaska through education and advocacy. |
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