Managers restored caribou on the Nushagak Peninsula in the ’80s, now there’s so many, they’re harming the lichens
Lichens on the Nushagak Peninsula are a critical food source for the caribou that live there. But as the herd has thrived, exceeding management goals, they are depleting the complex composites.
In Angoon, a rural water system gets help from beavers
The village of Angoon’s drinking water comes from a lake held up by a beaver dam. That might sound sketchy. But the beavers are one of reasons the city has public water. Not all Alaska towns do. Listen now
Wildfires crimp Alaska’s major transportation corridor, halting tourist operations, delaying groceries
Major wildfires that flared up in Southcentral Alaska over the weekend caused road closures and delays on some of the region's busiest road corridors, forcing re-routes and long delays for locals, buses filled with tourists and trucks trying to re-supply grocery stores.
Ask a Climatologist: Snow melt around the state is right on schedule
An early melt-out date can make for an especially bad wildfire season, but this year, it’s right on schedule for much of the state. Listen now
Warm ocean water leads to heavy rain in Alaska
It's been unusually wet across a large section of the state this summer. Listen now
Bill would make it easier to pass on information about contaminated sites in Alaska
From leaking pipelines and polluted aquifers, to broken septic tanks and abandoned military equipment, there are more than 2,200 open cases of contaminated sites in Alaska. A new bill that that is making its way through the state House, would require full disclosure of contamination on the deed of a property before it can be sold. Listen now
Hilcorp shuts down oil platforms to address Cook Inlet gas leak
Hilcorp announced Saturday (March 25) that after discussions with Alaska Governor Bill Walker, it’s shutting down two oil platforms in Cook Inlet in response to an ongoing leak from a gas line. The pipeline carries natural gas from shore to power four oil platforms in Cook Inlet. Two of the platforms have already been shut down. Listen now
Southeast Alaska researchers get rare opportunity to study a sperm whale
The species has been spotted in the Inside Passage before. But sightings are infrequent. A whale found recently near Juneau is thought to have died from a vessel strike.
New atlas maps Alaska’s surface
Federal and state researchers teamed up to make it easier for everyone to find out what's in the dirt in Alaska. For the first time in nearly 40 years, Alaska has an updated atlas of the chemical composition of its earth, rocks and minerals. Listen now
Alaska leaders seek to avoid fight over oil taxes
Alaska’s leaders are getting ready for tough negotiations over how the state will deal with its multi-billion-dollar budget hole. How much the oil and gas industry should help fill that hole will be an especially controversial question for the legislature this session. Listen Now
With some sci-fi tech, Kodiak has almost 100 percent renewable power
It's like a dance, or an orchestra: Each piece of the grid watches the rest and responds second by second, millisecond by millisecond. Listen now
Stranded seal gets first-class rescue in Unalaska
Most of the time, a seal in Unalaska doesn’t attract too much attention, but a ringed seal is a different story. The marine mammals live near ice and typically are found further north. When a sick ringed seal appeared and then vanished last week, the community united to find it. Listen now
BlueCrest gets a break from the state on $30 million loan
A state corporation has agreed to change the terms of a multi-million dollar loan to a Cook Inlet oil company. Texas-based BlueCrest asked for the loan modification to help the company deal with construction delays and the loss of oil tax credit payments from the state. Earlier this year, Gov. Bill Walker vetoed $430 million in oil tax credits, delaying payments to companies, including BlueCrest. 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.
Company hints North Slope oil field could be larger than first estimated
Oil Search told investors this week that the Pikka development could hold 750 million barrels of oil, increasing its original estimate by 50 percent. Listen now
New York Times reporter discusses story revealing ANWR oil test well was ‘worthless’
This week, the New York Times published a story uncovering a long-held Alaska secret: it revealed that the only exploratory oil well ever drilled in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge was "worthess." Alaska's Energy Desk reporter Elizabeth Harball talked to Henry Fountain, one of the New York Times reporters who broke the story.
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
Yellow cedar is dying. Can Southeast Alaska sawmills profit?
A recent study explores the business potential of salvage logging, or harvesting trees that are already dead.
What road lies ahead for Juneau’s electric cars?
Juneau’s privately-owned electric utility is trying to plan for a future that includes more electric cars. Listen now
As trade war escalates, AGDC and Gov. Walker minimize threat to state’s LNG project
China announced a 25 percent tariff on LNG imports from the U.S. Listen now