Prospect of commercial fishing in central Arctic Ocean poses big questions for science
The first legally-binding, multilateral agreement to prevent commercial fishing in the central Arctic Ocean was signed last year. A key part of that agreement is collaboration on scientific research, which could underpin a management plan later.
‘We’re never going to surrender’ — Sarah James on a life fighting oil drilling in the Arctic Refuge
Sarah James’ desire to preserve the Neets'aii Gwich'in way of life drove her into the thick of the battle over oil drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.
New map shows the potential future of permafrost on the North Slope
"We hope that this tool will be useful for engineers who [are] doing some projects in this area, for government thinking about what they should expect, and also for any people who live in Alaska," Vladimir Romanovsky said. Listen now
Cook Inlet oil and gas lease sales set for June
The federal government this week announced it’s holding an oil and gas lease sale for over a million acres in Cook Inlet this June. Listen now
Hilcorp quietly takes over BP’s stakes in Prudhoe Bay and other Alaska oil fields
Hilcorp Alaska announced in a written statement Wednesday morning that it has taken over BP’s interests in the Prudhoe Bay, Milne Point and Point Thompson fields.
Trump administration sued over Pacific walrus
The Center for Biological Diversity filed the lawsuit because the Pacific walrus wasn't granted an Endangered Species Act listing. Listen now
Culturally valuable yellow cedar on the decline
Yellow cedar trees grow from the top of California, all the way to Alaska, and according to a recent study, the Southeast part of the state could be the hardest hit with yellow cedar’s decline, due to the planet heating up. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has been petitioned to put yellow cedar on the endangered species list. The wood is commercially valuable. It’s culturally valuable, too. Listen now
Why a Papua New Guinea company is taking over one of Alaska’s biggest oil fields
An oil project in the Arctic may seem like an odd leap for a company from an island nation in the South Pacific. But in a recent interview, the newly-minted president of Oil Search Alaska, Keiran Wulff, said the company is serious about its new venture. Listen now
Alaskans weigh in on this year’s smaller dividend check
It’s PFD announcement day in Alaska — but it’s a little less exciting than usual. That’s because this year, for the first time in the program’s history, it’s been cut. Governor Bill Walker announced in a pre-recorded video on Friday exactly how much Alaskans would receive in this year’s Permanent Fund Dividend check: $1,022.
Warming Pacific waters likely adding to Arctic sea ice loss, study finds
For the past decade, scientists have observed several years of abnormally low sea ice extent. While most of the cause has been attributed to a warming Arctic climate, a new study suggests warming waters outside of the Arctic are impacting sea ice as well.
North Slope well leak estimated at over 7,000 gallons
The state reports that over 7,000 gallons of oil leaked from a North Slope well owned by Caelus Energy. Listen now
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
Meet the Fairbanks teen who’s suing the U.S. government over climate change
“I saw the lawsuit as kind of a last-ditch effort to give my generation a seat at the table,” Nathan Baring said. Listen now
Renewed fight, but old arguments for lawmakers wanting to open ANWR for drilling
Over the past 25 years, Alaska’s Legislature has passed nearly a dozen resolutions asking Congress to allow drilling in the coastal plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. But this year, something is different. There’s been more push back and public testimony opposed to passing an Arctic National Wildlife Reserve (ANWR) resolution. Listen now
State, Native Corps ask U.S. Supreme Court to enter fray over polar bear habitat
The State of Alaska and a dozen Native organizations have filed a petition with the U.S. Supreme Court, asking it to overturn a ruling that designated vast swaths of coastal Alaska as critical habitat for polar bears.
Increase in observer fees has people in the fishing industry questioning how their dollars are being spent
Observer fees are going up for Alaska fishermen and processors. In Kodiak, fishermen aren’t too worried about the modest increase, but some would like to see improvements made to the decades-old program.
Cook Inlet’s white whales are vanishing. Scientists still don’t know why.
In 2008, Cook Inlet belugas were listed as endangered. Still numbers continue to drop. With new analysis methods today there are even fewer whales than previously thought — less than 300, and steadily declining from there.
Alaska holding out against emission-cutting policies
The Arctic is on the front lines of climate change. Alaska is warming at twice the rate of the rest of the planet. A group called Alaska Common Ground hosted an all-day forum in Anchorage over the weekend to answer the question, "What are we doing about it?"
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Revenue commissioner outlines a new direction for Alaska’s gas pipeline project
That direction looks a lot like a previous version of the project: one that was led by the oil companies on the North Slope.
After a warmer than normal April, Utqiagvik sees first record low temperature in over a decade
On Wednesday morning, temperatures in the North Slope hub community of Utqiagvik reached 20 degrees below zero, a record low for April 29th.