Environment

All Alaska news stories about the environment, climate and weather. Could also include topics like animal die-offs related to the environment.

remnants of a flooded town.

Alaska National Guard begins to mobilize in wake of Western Alaska storm

Guardsmen will help with debris removal and damage assessment from Western Alaska's historic storm, with more being sent to Hooper Bay, Nome and Bethel.
wildfire victims

Hawaii’s governor orders review as Maui fires become deadliest in modern U.S. history

Hawaii Gov. Josh Green has ordered a comprehensive review to understand the actions taken before, during and after last week's wildfires on Maui.

St. Paul Ramps Up Reindeer Program to Improve Food Security

For the last century, reindeer have roamed St. Paul Island without much oversight. But now, the tribal government is stepping up its management style to boost subsistence options and the local economy.
two paleontologists

Scientists embark on a Yukon River expedition to track down a trove of dinosaur footprints

After dozens of field seasons along the Aleutian chain and on the North Slope, paleontologists will explore new territory along part of the Yukon River.

What happens when an oil producer moves into the neighborhood?

Public information about oil and gas exploration on private land comes with a lot of what ifs. Oil and gas wells themselves are permitted internally at the Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission, and the location of wells is only made public after they are approved.

Western Alaska Residents Receive State Assistance For Storm Repairs

The Bering Sea in November brought a series of storms affecting coastal communities from the Aleutians to Northwest Alaska. Some YK Delta villages clocked winds of close to 100 miles an hour. Now, the State is reaching out to residents with grant money to help them pay for some of the damages.
bears

This Fat Bear Week, take a look at the scientific reasons bears need to bulk up

Fat Bear Week's brown bears can lose one-third of their body weight over the course of hibernation, so they really need all the food they can get.
a humpback whale

Southeast humpback populations are improving, but the fallout of the Pacific marine heat wave lingers

A Glacier Bay National Park biologist says things are looking up for Southeast Alaska’s humpback whales, nearly a decade after a Pacific Ocean heat wave.
A dog team on a snowy day

Alaska musher and reality star Jessie Holmes injured while cleaning up storm damage

Holmes was trapped underneath the pile of plywood, insulation and other building materials.
an ice penetrator

A high-stakes drop onto Juneau’s icefield could lead to better monitoring of Antarctic ice

Engineers from MIT teamed up with Coastal Helicopter and the Juneau Ice Research Program to drop the 6-foot ice penetrator last month.

Court ruling keeps bearded seals on Endangered Species List

An appeals court today upheld a federal decision to list a species of ice seals as threatened under the Endangered Species Act. Listen Now
a pillow and other debris washed on a rocky beach

Juneau leaders declare local emergency after record flooding

The city has condemned eight buildings, displacing about 20 households.
fish in water

Warm water Blob may be sending salmon forecasts awry

Fisheries researchers say the appearance of a warm water anomaly in the northeast Pacific Ocean likely added a new wrinkle into recent predictions of Alaska salmon runs that are used by commercial fishing industry for the upcoming season’s planning. Because of the variability of West Coast salmon populations, a simple cause and effect may be impossible to pin down.

A new fish processor is buoying King Cove’s fishermen. But now the town’s finances are sinking.

The opening of a new processing plant in a nearby village has reduced frustrations for fishermen in King Cove, who were long frustrated at the limited market for their catch. But with the fish being sold elsewhere, the town of King Cove itself is now contending with a massive budget hole caused by a crash in fish tax revenue.

Flood Warning Along Talkeetna River

Flood warnings are in effect until 4:00 pm this (Monday) afternoon for rivers and streams in the western Talkeeta Mountains and for rivers that cross the Parks Highway.
the Willow project

New revenue estimate for Willow project presents rosier picture for Alaska treasury

Changed assumptions about tax credits, oil prices and other factors resulted in an estimate of early cash losses over a shorter period.
an landscape photo with a sign that says "drinking water source protection area"

Trace levels of harmful ‘forever chemicals’ found in Unalaska’s drinking water

The history of military presence in the area may be the cause of the contamination, according to Unalaska's director of public utilities.
crab pots

With prices low, many fishermen are skipping Southeast’s Dungeness crab season

Roughly a quarter of the fleet in Petersburg is skipping Southeast Alaska's Dungeness crab season, as many fishermen expect low prices.
a person on a sandy beach uses a metal detector to examine a dead Steller sea lion

Reward quadrupled after more than 20 endangered sea lions illegally killed near Cordova

An unusual number of Steller Sea Lions have been found dead in the Copper River Delta this summer, many with gunshot wounds.