9/12/24

…and check out upcoming job and training opportunities

Clouds form over mountains in the eastern Brooks Range. Photo by Emily Sullivan for Northern Center

We are continuing to oppose Sen. Dan Sullivan's National Defense Authorization Act amendment that would force approval of the Ambler Road and we look for your support in shutting this egregious rider down. Additionally, keep reading to learn more about a few upcoming trainings, workshops, and job opportunities this month and next.

- Emily Mesner (mesner@northern.org)

  Communications Coordinator

Join Tanana Chiefs Conference and tribal advocates across Alaska in opposing Sen. Dan Sullivan’s amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act. His rider would force through the Ambler Road, ignoring 135,000 commenters who opposed the road, 89 tribal resolutions against its development, and opposition from the communities closest to the proposed project. If passed as written, the Department of the Interior would be required to select one or two road routes and permit the project within 30 days of the NDAA being signed by President Biden. This is unacceptable. We need to stand up to Sen. Sullivan and foreign mining companies and let them know we STILL don’t want the Ambler Road!

Art by Anina Takeff for Fine Acts

Want to learn skills to engage in direct action, but don’t know where to start?

Join Northern Center, Fairbanks Climate Action Coalition, Alaska Peace Center, and Young Alaskans Training Fund for a two-day non-violent direct action workshop. Registration is NOW OPEN!

Trainers from across the state will share their knowledge and experiences in non-violent direct action, provide information on the philosophies of direct action, give tactics and tools to help you start or further develop your campaign, and guide campaign and art development.

Date: Oct. 5-6 (Saturday and Sunday)

Location: Fairbanks' Dena’ Movement Commons (526 Gaffney Road, Suite 204)

Time: 9:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. both days, with breaks for lunch & snacks

Stand in solidarity with Save Our Domes during the Sept. 26 Fairbanks North Star Borough Assembly meeting as they share concerns about gold exploration expansion around Fairbanks. They will be asking the assembly members to take action to protect residents through zoning changes, neighborhood buffers, and landowner education. The meeting starts at 6 p.m. in the Mona Lisa Drexler Assembly Chambers (907 Terminal Street). 

Chromosera photographed by Christin Swearingen.

In this weekend workshop co-hosted by Adventure Borealis and Center for Alaskan Coastal Studies, participants will attend a two-day field mycology workshop out of the Wynn Nature Center in Homer that dives into local mushrooms, their identification, and more! 

Join mycologist Christin Swearingen for a deep dive into the different fungi that inhabit this corner of Southcentral Alaska! This workshop is geared toward adult participants, however mature kids and teens are welcome if accompanied by an adult.

The cost for this two-day workshop (Sept. 21-22) is $60/person. There will be a free lecture at 7 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 20. Check out the schedule and register here.

Get your tickets for Trustees For Alaska's 50th anniversary fundraiser, featuring live music, yard games, snacks, drinks, and auctions, held in Anchorage on Sept. 22. For more information, and to buy your ticket, click here. Proceeds from this fall gathering will help support Trustees for Alaska as they continue to support work protecting the lands, waters, wildlife, and communities essential to Alaska’s health and future.

November is right around the corner. There are a few important dates to remember, both locally and nationally.

• Fairbanks Municipal Elections - Oct. 1 (click here for more information)
• U.S. Presidential Election - Nov. 5 (the deadline to register to vote in this election is Oct. 6)

Screenshot from PBS News Weekend's Aug. 3 episode. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=imVv0tOeF8w) 

Mining on Native Land

Starting at the 17-minute mark, watch this PBS News Weekend episode from Aug. 3 about the impacts of mining for transition minerals on Indigenous territories, featuring Wendsler Nosie Sr., a member of the San Carlos Apaches, SIRGE Coalition Executive Director Galina Angarova, and Leonardo A. Crippa from Indian Law Resource Center.

Climate change is already reshaping Pacific Northwest shorelines. Tribal nations are showing how to adapt

“Tribes in the Lower 48 states need about $1.9 billion over the next half-century for infrastructure needs related to climate change, according to estimates provided in a 2020 report by the Bureau of Indian Affairs,"  writes Seattle Times staff reporter Isabella Breda. "But coastal tribes in the Pacific Northwest often hit bureaucratic hurdles to access the money, workforce and collaboration needed to adapt, according to a new report by the Northwest Climate Resilience Collaborative.”

BLM announces steps to improve engagement with Tribes, public on mineral development

Earlier this week, the Bureau of Land Management issued a new policy that will ensure Tribal Nations will be notified whenever mineral exploration work is proposed on BLM-managed lands. Read more in their press release linked in the title above.

• The Arctic Youth Ambassadors program application period is now open for Alaskan youth aged 18-22. Learn more here about the history of the program, application guidelines, and cohort expectations. The deadline to apply is Sept. 22.
• The Conservation Alliance's 2024 Confluence Program grant application is currently open for groups led by Asian, Black, Brown, Hispanic, Indigenous, Latin American, or additional communities who identify as People of Color, working to protect a natural place. The deadline to apply is Sept. 20. For more information, click here.
• Night for the North is Northern Center's annual auction and dinner. This year it will be held at the Birch Hill Recreation Area in Fairbanks on Nov. 9. Our theme is "sled dogs." Proceeds from the event help support our programs, including the Jim Kowalsky Youth Engagement Fund. We are seeking business sponsors, individual donors, and volunteers. To help, please contact Christin at events@northern.org.
• Fairbanks Climate Action Coalition has two job openings. To view the full job descriptions and to apply, visit their website or email them here.
  • Keep it in the Ground Organizer:  This role is pivotal in mobilizing community members, building people power, and advancing the coalition’s anti-extraction efforts and support the managed decline of fossil fuels. This position will create space for volunteer leadership and organizing in the Interior and statewide. The area of focus is within FCAC’s Keep It In the Ground (KING) volunteer working group, which seeks to end state support for oil and gas. 
  • Administrative Executive Assistant: This position works closely with the Administrative Co-Executive Director, providing essential administrative support to the team, volunteers, and partners. The person in this role will be crucial in supporting grant writing, coordination, scheduling, tracking, and analyzing procedural development.

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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