Trump administration moves to open environmentally sensitive National Petroleum Reserve land to oil drilling
The Interior department on Tuesday announced it is beginning the environmental review process to re-do the management plan for NPR-A, which is west of Prudhoe Bay.
Southcentral Alaska sees most destructive spruce beetle outbreak in over two decades
Spruce beetles damaged nearly 600,000 acres of forest in 2018, and the damage continues to grow.
Shrugging off lawsuit, Trump administration forges ahead with offshore Arctic drilling proposal
If the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management is going to hold an oil lease sale in the Beaufort Sea in 2019, the environmental review process needs to start now.
Dunleavy selects Corri Feige as natural resources commissioner
Corri Feige is not new to the agency she will now lead — she was previously the head of DNR’s Division of Oil and Gas under Gov. Bill Walker.
As the climate changes, Alaska’s DOT works to keep up
“I can recall a time where we would have maybe one good freezing rain event a winter,” said Tom Grman. “And then several winters ago, those were really prevalent.”
In a warming Arctic, October in Utqiaġvik presents an especially striking picture
Billy Adams, a hunter in his 50s, says that when he was growing up in Utqiagvik, there was almost always ice attached to the shore by now. Listen now
Court hears arguments in case that could curtail Arctic Ocean oil drilling
The U.S. District Court in Anchorage heard arguments in a case that could determine whether millions of acres of Arctic waters should be closed to oil development. Listen now
Fall whaling in Utqiaġvik: joy, excitement and this year, mourning too
Whaling Captain Crawford Patkotak says many in the community are still mourning the loss of two whalers in an accident this season, but the overarching dedication to continuing the tradition of whaling remains strong. Listen now
Trump administration downsizes NPR-A lease sale after little interest last year
At its annual oil and gas lease sale, the Bureau of Land Management will offer 254 tracts for bid. Last year, the Trump administration put 900 tracts up for bid. Listen now
With salmon ballot measure’s defeat, Pebble celebrates
In an interview Wednesday, Pebble CEO Tom Collier said even though his company’s mine proposal wasn’t always at the forefront of the debate, the salmon habitat initiative was, in some ways, all about Pebble.
Donlin Gold still waiting for big state permits
So far in the permitting process, Donlin Gold's biggest milestone has been the Army Corps of Engineers’ joint record of decision, issued in August. Listen now
A warming Arctic means a change of plans for offshore drilling project
As the Arctic warms, Hilcorp is already having to tweak its proposal to accommodate climate change. And future companies looking to drill offshore in the Arctic may have additional changes to plan for. Listen now
To carry out salmon habitat measure, Alaska must decide what ‘significant’ means
Part of the uncertainty on how the salmon habitat initiative could affect things like small-scale hydro projects or mom-and-pop placer mines hinges on a single phrase in the ballot measure: "significant adverse effects." Listen now
Ask a Climatologist: The colder, snowier Halloweens of yesteryear
Many snow-starved parts of Alaska recently saw the ground finally turn to white. But as for this notion of a “White Halloween,” some places may not reach that benchmark, technically speaking.
Gustavus households offered safe drinking water after latest PFAS scare
It’s a growing national issue: A foam used to suppress oil fires can leach into the environment and contaminate groundwater. Listen now
Sen. Murkowski talks aviation, climate change in Bethel visit
Climate change and rural aviation are major issues in the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta, and Sen. Lisa Murkowski addressed both during her visit to the region last week.
Alaskans rally in support of youth climate lawsuit, currently in limbo
“This is no longer a scientific issue, it’s not a scientific question. It’s a moral and spiritual issue,” said Tom Baring of Fairbanks, the father of one of the plaintiffs. Listen now
State to repair parallel runway at Bethel airport next summer
The Alaska Department of Transportation plans to repave the runway after repairing the dips caused by melting permafrost.
ConocoPhillips to begin work on $1 billion North Slope oil development this winter
ConocoPhillips today announced the company has made the final decision to build a new, roughly $1 billion drill site on the North Slope. Listen now
Will Alaska’s new governor keep Walker’s climate team?
Now, the real work to address climate change can start. But it’s hard to know what that might look like under new leadership. Listen now