...and have a great Run for the Refuge weekend! |
The view near Twelvemile summit in Interior Alaska. Photo by Emily Hikes |
Run for the Refuge has begun and there's still time to sign up! This event has been a great reminder that prioritizing community is necessary as we continue to navigate these challenging, and sometimes disappointing, political moments. Check out our updates below as we dive into some of the issues facing the Arctic Refuge and ore haul safety concerns. Stay hydrated, safe, and have a wonderful time this weekend—we'd love to see where, and how, you participated!
- Emily Mesner (mesner@northern.org)
Communications Coordinator |
Gov. Dunleavy removes regulations from industry permitting process |
Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy recently signed an administrative order (No. 360) that would require automatic approval of natural resource permit applications if state agencies miss a deadline. This order also requires agencies to vaguely and arbitrarily reduce regulatory requirements for applicants and operators by 15% by the end of 2026 and 25% by the end of 2027.
This is an attempt to reform regulations so that the regulatory process over industrial projects is faster and has less oversight. While the administrative order does not change state law, this is a troubling attempt to push projects through the permitting process with less agency scrutiny and public engagement, regardless of whether the project itself has received adequate review. It also means that some projects could be automatically approved, even without full environmental review, if agencies do not meet deadlines.
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Updates from Arctic Alaska |
Moss, cloudberries and blueberries cover the tundra. Photo by Emily Hikes |
From day one, the Trump administration has continued to prioritize extractive industries in pretty much every way they can think of. In the Arctic, that means revoking environmental protections that were put in place based on public engagement and scientific review.
Updated safeguards for the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska’s (Reserve) Special Areas—regions recognized for their ecological, cultural, and recreational value—have been particularly under fire. The Trump administration even recently targeted subsistence protections in the region.
On top of executive actions, the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (Arctic Refuge) and the Reserve were singled out in the Republican budget bill. Over the next decade, the bill requires at least five oil and gas leases of 4 million acres each in the Reserve, and four leases of 400,000 acres minimum in the Refuge’s coastal plain.
Past mandated leases in the Refuge have been a huge economic flop. But now, the state-funded Alaska Industrial Development and Export Authority (AIDEA)—the only lease holder—is hoping to begin 3D-seismic surveying as early as this winter. This damaging process involves support convoys of heavy machinery, camps for workers, and 90,000-pound trucks thumping the ground in grids across the tundra, using sound waves to map layers of rock and soil that might contain oil.
Like so much of what’s happening across the country with human rights and democracy itself under siege, the potential harm this administration might do to the Arctic—damaging unique ecosystems, impacting caribou herds, undermining Indigenous communities' subsistence access and cultural practices—can feel overwhelming. That makes finding moments like Run for the Refuge even more important—to have fun, to see people across Alaska and the country taking steps together in support of protecting the Arctic. Thank you so much for your continued support! |
Check out our 2025 Northern Center gaiters |
Our Northern Center neck gaiter—sporting Tehya McLeod's 2025 featured art— is now available for purchase online, and local pick up too! We designed this limited-edition piece with a lot of care (and fun!) and hope you love it as much as we do. Get yours while supplies last—all proceeds from these sales help protect the Arctic Refuge.
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Do you live in the Northwest Arctic Borough? |
Muskox and Greater White-fronted Geese on vegetated beach ridges in front of the Igichuk Hills. NPS Photo |
The Northwest Arctic Borough (NWAB) recently published their Draft Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS) to identify challenges and opportunities for economic and community growth throughout the region. They are currently accepting public comment on the draft plan, allowing you to participate in, and influence, the decisions that impact your community. Notably, the draft includes the proposed Ambler Road as a source of both potential economic opportunity as well as a challenge for maintenance of subsistence resources and traditions. You can view the draft plan and share your comments at the borough’s website: https://www.nwabor.org/ceds/ |
Ore haul continues to pose safety threats |
Photo by Tracy Charles-Smith |
A Black Gold Transport truck hauling ore from the Manh Choh mine in Tetlin lost control and ran into a ditch 20 miles south of Delta Junction this past weekend.
Fortunately no injuries occurred, but this incident reminds us of the potential hazards of sharing roadways with industrial traffic, and the expense and risk placed on the public to accommodate the ore haul. Northern Center continues to oppose the ore haul and is working to mitigate its impacts and prevent future direct shipping ore (DSO) operations from occurring elsewhere in the Interior and across the state. |
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Good Reads: two Congress members have a plan to save the Western Monarch |
The Monarch Action, Recovery, and Conservation of Habitat (MONARCH) Act has been reintroduced with companion legislation and offers a path forward to aid the struggling Western monarch population, writes Steve Blackledge, Conservation America Campaign's senior director for Environment America. "Backed by lawmakers across the West and supported and endorsed by scientists, experts and community leaders, this legislation would invest $125 million in Western monarch habitat restoration and conservation programs over the next five years." Read more here.
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The Northern Center is looking for volunteers to support our upcoming events and community outreach efforts. Whether you enjoy planning, connecting with people, or lending a helping hand, your time and energy can help amplify our impact. Reply to this email, or contact lois@northern.org, to learn more about the next committee meeting.
- Tune in to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Science Seminar Series—a voluntary effort that began in 2004 and is led by more than 70 NOAA seminar coordinators to integrate and distribute a list of NOAA-hosted, publicly accessible science seminars.
Do you have GIS skills and access to GIS software? Northern Center is looking for a volunteer to help staff create maps related to mining claims and exploration areas around Fairbanks, as well as landownership and land use in areas across Interior and Arctic Alaska. Please email katie@northern.org if you are willing to volunteer time to help us create these visuals. Thank you!
National Public Lands Day is September 27! This is an annual event on the fourth Saturday of September that has been the nation's largest single-day volunteer effort. Last year, more than 130 national parks hosted events with 7,600 volunteers donating 41,500 hours of service. All national parks that charge an entrance fee will offer free admission.
- Click the photos below to get this year's Run for the Refuge merch!
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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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