...and check out our 2024 seasonal magazine |
Northern Center's winter edition of The Northern Line is now available to read online. Each edition of our printed, magazine-style newsletter highlights work we've done throughout the year, including new writing from staff. This year's theme, "dreaming of the world we want to live in", was inspired by our 2024 Featured Artist, Danielle Stickman. As I think about this theme, I envision a world whose inhabitants work in tandem with the natural world, where collaboration and understanding outshine exploitation. It is exciting to know that a part of this “dream world” exists now because of the tireless efforts and unwavering dreams of our partners and members. Thank you for being a part of this process. We hope you enjoy our 2024 Northern Line. If you are interested in a printed copy, please stop by our office in Fairbanks (830 College Road), while supplies last.
- Emily Mesner (mesner@northern.org) Communications Coordinator |
Help us reach our Giving Tuesday goal! |
Students and instructors head into the backcountry during Adventure Borealis' inaugural Leadership at Macomb Plateau retreat. Photo by Alex Wong |
This year for Giving Tuesday, we are aiming to raise $5,000 for Adventure Borealis, a program of ours whose aim is to deepen connections to Interior Alaska and help increase inclusivity in the outdoors for BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ communities.
Nearly 1 in 5 participants in a recent study exploring inclusivity in the outdoors said they’ve experienced discrimination while recreating outside. Researchers found that members of the LGBTQIA+ community are more likely to feel unwelcome and that people of color are more likely to experience discrimination in the outdoors. Adventure Borealis wants to help make the outdoors a welcoming space for everyone.
Every dollar of your gift will go towards creating memorable, high-quality outdoor learning experiences in Interior Alaska. During its first year of operation, Adventure Borealis hosted a BIPOC Birding Club and many day trips including a berry picking outing and snowshoe walk. At their biggest event this year, they selected students from groups underrepresented in outdoor-oriented fields and hosted a ten-day wilderness excursion to Macomb Plateau.
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Giving Tuesday began as a way to share generosity and reimagine a world built upon shared humanity. Adventure Borealis plans on continuing to create spaces in the outdoors that are more accessible, safe, and inclusive for all people. Please click the button below to donate items, gear, or experiences for future Adventure Borealis participants. Thank you!
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New data shows Manh Choh ore haul trucks significantly exceed weight restrictions |
The Manh Choh ore haul from Tetlin to Fort Knox has been heavily scrutinized by the public over the last year–and for good reason. A Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request for weigh station data along the ore haul route showed that Black Gold Transport ore haul trucks exceeded their 80 ton weight restriction more than 5,000 times. In fact, 5,184 of the 5,291 loads that exceeded 160,000 pounds (since Oct. 2023) belonged to Black Gold Transport.
In the last two weeks, an ore truck flipped along the Richardson Highway near milepost 301, spilling ore along the roadway, and another ore hauler was involved in a collision with a commercial vehicle. These incidents occurred less than two months after an accident involving an ore haul truck caused one fatality. Each new incident confirms the many safety concerns members of the public shared before the ore haul began.
The Northern Center opposes the ore haul and supports grassroots and legislative efforts to introduce reasonable weight restrictions on public roads. We will continue working to limit opportunities for private industry to exploit and damage public infrastructure, waste public funds, and risk Alaskans’ safety. |
An update on the proposed mine near Murphy Dome |
Fairbanks is no stranger to mineral exploration and Save Our Domes has been hard at work sharing information about ongoing gold exploration in Interior Alaska. Now, exploration and proposed development of an antimony mine is shaking things up at the Treasure Creek project, located along Murphy Dome, north of Fairbanks.
Antimony is a critical mineral, and this status means the project may qualify for funding from the Department of Defense. Felix Gold hopes to become a supplier and is aggressively pursuing additional funding, with the hope of bringing the mine online by the end of 2025. Save Our Domes will continue tracking the project and will share more information with the public as it becomes available. Plus, keep an eye out for a public meeting in the new year.
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Art by Jessica Thornton is projected on AIDEA’s office building in Anchorage. Photo by Emily Sullivan |
Despite consistent and widespread opposition from tribes and the public, the Alaska Industrial Development and Export Authority (AIDEA) continues its push of the proposed Ambler Road project. They recently approved $750,000 to support legal challenges against the Department of Interior’s Record of Decision that revoked permits for the project, citing incredible environmental, economic, and social harm. Northern Center will continue working with partners to prevent AIDEA's continued bad investments from coming to fruition.
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Keep salmon streams flowing, comment by FRIDAY |
The Alaska Department of Natural Resources has opened another scoping process as they revise the reservation of water regulations across the state.
Currently, there are no requirements for industry to retain enough water in lakes and streams to support salmon. Water reservations–which protect stream flow or a lake’s water level–are one of the few safeguards for Alaska waters and the salmon who depend on them. But the water reservation process requires extensive data collection and applicants often wait years for decisions. It’s much easier for industry to get water use permits, which don’t require data or any proof that their activities will not impair salmon or aquatic habitat.
Our friends at Cook Inletkeeper have more information on why this process is biased against those who want to protect salmon and waterways, and have talking points to help inform your comments.
The comment period is open until 5 p.m. on Nov. 29. Comments can be submitted via email to dnr.water.regulation@alaska.gov or through DNR’s online comment portal.
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From our friends at the Fairbanks Climate Action Coalition |
Join FCAC at 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 4 for an open Keep It In the Ground (KING) working group meeting at their office in Fairbanks (526 Gaffney, Suite 203, across from Forget-Me-Not Books). They will be sharing where KING has been, where they're going and how you can get involved! FCAC is looking for folks who are interested in planning and implementing an ongoing campaign that takes power away from the oil industry.
Food will be provided and families are welcome. If there is anything they can do to make this gathering more accessible for you to attend, or if you need childcare, rideshare support, or a zoom link to attend remotely, please email sarah@fbxclimateaction.org. And be sure to check out their Facebook event for more information.
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Good reads: Haka heard round the world |
Screenshot of Te Pāti Māori MP Hana-Rāwhiti Maipi-Clarke beginning a haka, a traditional ceremonial group dance, to disrupt a vote in the New Zealand parliament, from the Associated Press. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=25AUCNZKEnY |
A recent video has garnered hundreds of millions of views online and shows lawmakers disrupting a vote in New Zealand's parliament by performing a haka, a traditional ceremonial Māori group dance. This demonstration came "amid anger over a controversial bill seeking to reinterpret the country's founding treaty with Māori people," writes Kathryn Armstrong for BBC News. Thousands joined a nine-day hīkoi (peaceful protest march) to further protest the bill that many believe will take away much-needed support for Māori people as the group continues to fight against colonization and inequities. Read more by clicking the above headline and click the button below to listen to a podcast featuring Te Pati Māori co-leader Debbie Ngarewa-Packer. Listen as she speaks about the viral moment and reasons the Māori are fighting back so strongly against the New Zealand government.
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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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