by Board Secretary | Apr 2, 2026
Effective April 2, 2026, Krystal Lapp will serve as Interim Executive Director of the Northern Alaska Environmental Center. As part of this transition, Krystal will step down from her role as President of the NAEC Board of Directors.
by Board Secretary | Mar 31, 2026
When the Northern Alaska Environmental Center first opened its doors in September 1971, it was known as the Fairbanks Environmental Center. At the center of that effort was Jim Kowalsky, the organization’s first Executive Director and one of the people who helped build the foundation for Alaska’s grassroots conservation movement.
by Board Secretary | Mar 30, 2026
The National Park Service (NPS) is accepting public comments on a proposed rule that would change how sport hunting and trapping are managed in national preserves across Alaska. Comments due April 9.
by Board Secretary | Mar 30, 2026
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is accepting public comments on a proposed rule that would allow the incidental take of small numbers of polar bears and Pacific walruses during oil and gas exploration, development, and transportation activities in the Beaufort Sea and along Alaska’s North Slope.
The proposal would authorize these activities for a five-year period, while requiring mitigation, monitoring, and reporting measures intended to reduce impacts to marine mammals and their habitat.
Comments due April 8.
by Board Secretary | Mar 22, 2026
Rachel Ruston-Northern Center The U.S. Departments of the Interior and Agriculture are conducting a limited review of the Federal Subsistence Management Program (FSMP) under Title VIII of the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act (ANILCA). This review...
by Board Secretary | Mar 22, 2026
Comment Deadline: April 1, 2026 | 11:59 PM EDT The federal government is considering whether to open large areas of Alaska’s offshore waters to commercial mineral exploration and potential mining. The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) recently issued a Request...
by Board Secretary | Mar 20, 2026
The Alaska Legislature is considering many bills that could affect Alaska’s lands, waters, and communities. This year, the Northern Alaska Environmental Center is collaborating with the Fairbanks Climate Action Coalition (FCAC) through a shared legislative contractor...
by Board Secretary | Mar 16, 2026
Earlier this month, the Alaska Department of Natural Resources issued a preliminary determination that could open large areas of the Yukon Flats region to oil and gas exploration licensing. While this decision does not approve a specific drilling project, it...
by Board Secretary | Mar 10, 2026
Two million acres of Northern Alaska homelands that sustain subsistence lifeways and support vital wildlife migrations are at risk. Northern Alaska Environmental Center has joined a coalition of conservation organizations in filing a federal lawsuit to challenge the...
by Board Secretary | Mar 4, 2026
An arial view of the coastal plain of Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Photo Credit: Lisa Hupp The public comment period for a proposed oil and gas lease sale in the Coastal Plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge closes March 5. Today, the Northern Alaska...
