2/27/25

Kotzebue Sound and distant snowy hills under a pale pink sky. Photo by Emily Mesner 

Last week, Northern Center joined Earthjustice and other allies in suing President Trump for exceeding his legal authority by attempting to reopen protected federal coastal waters to oil and gas development. Learn more about this ongoing litigation below and check out more opportunities for in person action including an art build in Fairbanks at 5:30 p.m. tonight. 

- Emily Mesner (mesner@northern.org)

  Communications Coordinator

As mentioned above, Northern Center joined allies in suing President Trump for exceeding his legal authority by attempting to reopen protected federal coastal waters to oil and gas development. 

In January, President Biden protected 625 million acres of federal waters–including in the Arctic–from fossil fuel extraction under the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act, which enables the president to safeguard federal waters. 

President Trump has tried to revoke protections for the Chukchi, Beaufort, and Northern Bering seas before. During the first Trump administration, a U.S. District Court judge ruled that the president does not have the power to unilaterally withdraw protections granted under the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act.

”We saw a disregard for the environment and legal precedent under the Trump Administration the first time around,” said Elisabeth Balster Dabney, executive director of the Northern Center. “We will continue to stand up for legal protections that are crucial for Alaska’s communities, lands, waters, and wildlife.”

These cases will take time to move through the legal system, but we will keep you updated.

Sunlight illuminates steam as it rises from snowy Tolovana Hot Springs. Photo by Emily Hikes

5 Calls (https://5calls.org/) is an excellent resource that provides you with the phone numbers for your legislators, background information for different issues, and short scripts you can use when leaving a message or talking to a staff member at your legislator's office.

We encourage our members to utilize this resource to make your personal advocacy simpler and less stressful! Taking just a few minutes of your day to speak with your legislators makes a huge impact, and is incredibly important in the face of so many current challenges that span the political spectrum.

Click the button below to learn more.

Ice gathers along the Cook Inlet shoreline in Anchorage in February. Photo by Emily Mesner

Northern Center staff recently attended a two-day gathering in Anchorage with Indigenous leaders from Alaska and Canada, and our conservation allies from around the country. It was powerful to hear from Gwich’in and Iñupiat leaders and elders as they shared stories about the decades of diligent work their communities have done to protect the Arctic. 

The annual gathering gave us a chance to share stories, gain perspective, and brainstorm strategies. Robust small group discussions brought new depth to the conversations we have in our regular meetings online. 

Having so many leaders together in person was an important reminder that even though the current political landscape feels dire, individuals and organizations have consistently risen to each new challenge and our momentum only continues to build. This coalition, along with all of our community supporters, is an inspiring group of people. We will continue to work together to protect the Arctic.

Stand with local groups Elim Students Against Uranium and Sacred Kiglauit to stop destructive mining and protect Norton Sound!

Every year, competitors in the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race cover a distance of roughly 1,000 miles through Alaska's interior and coastal landscapes. The race's route intersects many rural villages and ends in Nome, located on the Seward Peninsula. 

Did you know there are multiple major mining projects proposed for the Seward Peninsula, including Graphite One, Panther Minerals uranium project, and the IPOP gold project? These proposed developments threaten the health of the land, water, and communities across the Norton Sound.

Northern Center and Native Movement are co-hosting an art build in Fairbanks at the Dena’ Movement Commons (526 Gaffney Road, Suite 204) from 5:30-7:30 p.m. TONIGHT. We will make posters to show our support for these grassroots groups and coordinate logistics for the Iditarod Race restart in Fairbanks. 

Please help us draw attention to these destructive mining proposals and show our solidarity with Elim Students Against Uranium and Sacred Kigluait during the race's restart in Fairbanks (Pike's Landing) at 11 a.m. on March 3.

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Do you live in Anchorage?

Native Movement and Alaska Community Action on Toxics (ACAT) are co-hosting an art build on Friday, February 28 from 5-7 p.m. at ACAT’s office on International Airport Road.

Then, show your support alongside fellow community members and organizations at the Iditarod Ceremonial Start in Anchorage (E. 4th Avenue and Cordova Street) at 10 a.m. on Saturday, March 1. Click here for more information on Anchorage's events.

Snow-covered trees near Fairbanks. Photo by Emily Hikes

Sign this petition to help ban styrofoam in Alaska's restaurants

From our friends at Alaska Community Action on Toxics, learn about House Bill 25, sponsored by Representative Andy Josephson. The bill aims to prevent restaurants from using disposable polystyrene foam in food service ware, encouraging the adoption of biodegradable or compostable alternatives. Click here to learn more about the chemical found in styrofoam that harms human and environmental health.

Complete this short survey (Fairbanks residents only)

FINAL REMINDER: Let the Fairbanks North Star Borough know what you want (or don’t want) to see in our community in the next 20 years! The FNSB Comprehensive Plan survey to collect community values is due March 3.

More information about the 20 year comprehensive planning process can be found here, on the Borough’s website.

The aurora borealis illuminates the night sky. Photo by Emily Hikes

"A 2017 study found that light pollution poses a threat to 30% of vertebrates and more than 60% of invertebrates that are nocturnal," writes Joshua Korber Hoffman for CNN. According to Hoffman, light pollution is increasing worldwide with the fastest rate of change happening in North America, affecting leaf development in trees and disorienting insects, among other impacts. Click here to read more about the devastating consequences of light pollution and how it could be curbed overnight.

• A movement called "Feb 28 Economic Blackout" is taking place TOMORROW and is a call-to-action focused on refraining from making purchases at major retailers for 24 hours. John Schwarz, the founder of the grassroots organization responsible for the boycott, is quoted in this CBS News article stating: "For our entire lives, they have told us we have no choice ... that we have to accept these insane prices, the corporate greed, the billionaire tax breaks, all while we struggle to just to get by."
• Get involved with the Fairbanks Climate Action Coalition's Policy & Politics Working Group. They are planning a community information session to discuss the current state of local climate plan implementation and the upcoming borough comprehensive plan process. This event will be on March 5 from 6-8 p.m. in Fairbanks. Click here to learn more about joining the working group.
• Southeast Alaska Conservation Council is hiring a Mining Campaign Manager. Similar to Northern Center, SEACC has a dedicated mining program that focuses on monitoring proposed and existing mining projects, working with grassroots and state wide partners, and developing campaigns to protect vital environmental and community resources in southeast Alaska. Salary and benefits are competitive. Visit https://seacc.org/about/hiring for more information, or click here.

• The Gwich'in Steering Committee seeks an organized, creative, mature, and dedicated individual to fill the position of Executive Assistant. This role, based in Fairbanks, is primarily responsible for providing administrative office support to the Executive Director and providing support to GSC by performing bookkeeping and travel. Send a letter of interest and resume via email to k.moreland@gwichinsteering.org, or via mail to 3401 Airport Way, Fairbanks, AK 99709.

• FCAC is hiring a Keep It In the Ground (KING) Organizer. You can find the job description here.

• Alaska Community Action on Toxics is hiring for multiple positions:
  • Plastics and Petrochemicals Campaign Coordinator
  • Protecting Future Generations Coordinator

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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