...and when you're ready, you can help. |
We all respond differently to disappointment, and this week's news that the federal government approved the Willow project was extremely disappointing.
Some of us are energized by outrage and we jump into action right away, and then feel exhausted and need time to slow down and process. Others need rest and time for sadness immediately, and return to the work after some time to care for themselves. Meanwhile, our collective work continues because we take turns moving things forward. Whatever your body is calling for, we hope you are able to take time for that. When you're ready, the work of learning, amplifying, and advocating is always here and ready for you. |
The work to #StopWillow is not over. |
Background photo by Emily Sullivan, 2022.
On Monday, the formal Record of Decision was issued by the Department of Interior to approve ConocoPhillips' Willow project. But this is not over. Folks from directly impacted communities have been advocating against the Willow project for years, and will continue to do so. It is critical that those of us who are newer to this work listen to and show up in support of these frontline advocates.
We strongly encourage our members to take a look at the official release from Sovereign Iñupiat for a Living Arctic (SILA), and follow their social media accounts on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.
This week, Northern Center joined SILA, Alaska Wilderness League, Environment America, Sierra Club, and The Wilderness Society in filing a lawsuit with legal representation by Trustees for Alaska against Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, and U.S. Department of the Interior. Earthjustice has also filed a lawsuit on behalf of conservation groups and the Natural Resources Defense Council to stop Willow. We will keep you updated as these lawsuits progress.
The Northern Center is against any new oil and gas development on federal lands, and remains strongly opposed to the ConocoPhillips Willow project. |
Northern Voices Speaker Series - in Anchorage! |
Next Tuesday, Michaela Stith will join us at the Anchorage Museum SEED Lab (111 W. 6th Ave, Anchorage) for our next event in the Northern Voices Speaker Series.
Michaela is an climate justice advocate and author of the book Welp: Climate Change and Arctic Identities. Born and raised in Anchorage (Dgheyey Kaq'), Michaela is now the Climate Justice Director for Native Movement. She previously worked at the Wilson Center's Polar Institute, where she organized the largest symposium of Arctic youth in Washington, D.C., as well as the Arctic Council Indigenous Peoples’ Secretariat in Tromsø, Norway. Her work has brought her to all eight Arctic countries.
Michaela will share insights from her travels across the circumpolar North about the interconnectedness of systemic racism, colonialism, and climate change—and the ways just transition may restore balance on Earth.
Registration for this event is encouraged, but not required. Doors open at 6:00 PM for a 6:30 PM conversation. Michaela will be available to sign books following the discussion. |
UPDATE: Tetlin to Ft. Knox Transportation Plan |
At midnight last Thursday, after nearly two hours of citizen comments and an hour of debate, the Fairbanks North Star Borough Assembly passed Resolution 2023-13 in opposition of the proposed Tetlin to Fort Knox Transportation Plan associated with the Manh Choh mine. Fairbanks and North Pole City Councils each passed resolutions of opposition earlier this year.
When questioned by Assembly Member Kristan Kelly about the stopping distances of the specially designed double-trailer haul trucks, Manh Choh Representative Patrick Filbin said that there were "so many variables to the equation that it is impossible to determine an exact stopping distance."
Despite significant public support and the lack of clarifying information provided by Manh Choh and Kinross representatives, Assembly Member Brett Rotermund filed a reconsideration last Friday to weaken the language of the resolution. With so little evidence to support the safe execution of this transportation plan, the Northern Center strongly supports Resolution 2023-13 as it was passed.
The next Assembly meeting takes place next Thursday, March 23rd, and reconsideration of this resolution is on the agenda (Item 14). We encourage FNSB residents to contact the Assembly and urge them to maintain Resolution 2023-13. |
Get Tickets: Sheri screening in Anchorage |
Get your tickets now to join us in Anchorage for a screening of the film Sheri at Bear Tooth Theatrepub on Thursday, April 6. Alpacka Raft has generously offered to donate profits from this event to the Northern Center to support our conservation work in Alaska. We will be in attendance and can't wait to see our Anchorage members there.
According to the official film trailer's description:
The film is a story about the hurdles Sheri Tingey overcame to launch the company [Alpacka Raft], the ways she hid from view so that people would judge her products, and her role in creating them. It’s the story of her son, Thor Tingey, who has built the company alongside his mother, but has only recently begun to fully grasp what she has created not just for him, but for adventurers who’ve used the boats to access remote and wild rivers around the world. Sheri’s story will warm audiences and ask them to grapple with important questions about who belongs.
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The 2023 PFD application closes March 31, 2023. The Northern Center is participating in Pick.Click.Give. and you can select our organization to receive a portion of your PFD. At Northern Center, we recognize that the Permanent Fund is complex. On one hand, the PFD is a rare example of universal income which helps many people meet their basic needs. On the other hand, it is founded on climate chaos and helps to perpetuate reliance on harmful extractive industries. If you can afford to reallocate part or all of your PFD, we hope you will consider giving to environmental groups that are working toward a just future for all of us. Have you chosen the Northern Center as a recipient for Pick.Click.Give. this year or in the past? We'd love to hear from you. Email christin@northern.org to share your story. |
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| March 30: Save Our Domes at March Hot Topic
Join Save Our Domes from 7-9 pm at the Schaible Auditorium (Usibelli Engineering Building at UAF) for the League of Women Voters of Tanana Valley's March Hot Topic on Mining in the Interior. Host Dan Bross, Senior Reporter at KUAC, will be mediating the discussion between community group Save Our Domes and agency and industry representatives as they discuss issues related to mineral development in the Interior. |
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| March 29-31: The Arctic Encounter Symposium 2023
As the largest Arctic policy and business conference in the United States, with partners and convenings worldwide, the Arctic Encounter continues to gather leading voices from around the world. The Arctic Encounter Symposium is eager to welcome participants to Alaska for a world-class arts and cultural experience, including dialogue and presentations with elected and international leaders, business executives, Indigenous peoples, scientists, students, defense leaders, diplomats, policymakers, and more.
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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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