Environment

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

a damaged house

Hooper Bay families displaced by storm seek sustainable housing

A Hooper Bay leader says federal temporary housing provided after a fire years ago was inadequate and "not meant for the Arctic."
Four young adults sit in chairs on stage.

Young leaders from Alaska, Canada and Greenland stress need for cultural preservation and climate adaptation

The panelists spoke at the three-day Arctic Encounter conference in downtown Anchorage that brought together leaders and organizations from around the circumpolar north.
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.
a snowy intersection

Bering Sea storm brings blizzards, snow to Southcentral Alaska

A storm brought light snow to Anchorage’s morning commute Tuesday, with much of the eastern Kenai Peninsula facing blizzard warnings.
a northern pike

Invasive pike can use Cook Inlet to travel between freshwater systems, research finds

Now, for the first time, researchers have concrete evidence that northern pike could use the ocean to move between freshwater habitats.
Crooked Creek flooding

Breakup brings serious flooding to Yukon and Kuskokwim River communities

Breakup of the Yukon River over the weekend has led to serious flooding in Eagle, Circle and Fort Yukon.
a patch of land where a home has been ripped from its foundation

Federal and state disaster relief money is available for Western Alaska communities. Here’s how to apply.

Eligible individuals, homeowners and business owners can receive aid.
trollers

Ketchikan got drenched with nearly 7 inches of rain on Tuesday

"This wasn’t even a top 10 event for Ketchikan," a meteorologist said of Ketchikan's Oct. 17 rainfall, which broke its record for that day.
Kachemak Bay

Lawsuit decision reinstates jet ski ban in Kachemak Bay

Superior Court Judge Adolf Zeman ruled in favor of environmental groups that challenged Fish and Game's authority to repeal the ban.
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.
a man in a kayak on a lake. a white bird flies near him. yellow floats create lines on the water.

Anchorage’s University Lake reopens after oil spill

But a state spokesperson says dog owners should keep their pets from swimming near the remaining oil sheen, which is surrounded by floating yellow booms.

China seeks bigger role in Arctic

China issued its first national policy on the Arctic, and it reveals expansive ambitions in the far North. "China is stepping into the power vacuum of global leadership since the Trump administration came to power." Listen now
A gray concrete building labeled Eklutna Power Plant along a snowy road

The governor has a big decision to make about the Eklutna River and hydro project. Here’s what to know. 

The governor has an Oct. 2 deadline to review the plan, comments, any alternatives, and try to smooth out any disagreements.
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.
a smoky fire

Preparing for and preventing wildfires in 2024 | Talk of Alaska

What are the best ways to protect your property and community from fire? We discuss the 2024 wildfire season on this Talk of Alaska.
small bodies of water dot the tundra

Federal decisions on Pebble Mine and the Willow drilling project aren’t the final word

Alaska Public Media's Liz Ruskin discusses what's next for the proposed Pebble Mine and the Willow drilling project.

Western Alaska Villages Dealing With Rising Water

Communities on Alaska's west coast are still being battered by a huge storm. The national weather service says the intensity of the storm can be compared to a category 3 hurricane. Wind gusts up to almost 90 miles per hour were recorded in some communities over night. Now, villages are dealing with rising water.
a condo

Juneau condo owners take on $1M in flood repairs without state or federal aid

Condo residents say recovery aid from familiar safety nets like insurance and federal and state disaster aid has fallen short of their expectations.

The special ingredient inside these new gluten-free noodles? Fish, from Alaska.

The featured ingredient in the new gluten-free “protein noodles” stocked at Costco might surprise you: It’s pollock, the unassuming whitefish caught by the millions in the Bering Sea, off Alaska’s coast.
a council

Western Alaska tribes, outraged by bycatch, turn up the heat on fishery managers and trawlers

The debate is increasingly urgent, as subsistence harvesting bans continue and proposed fixes threaten to impose steep costs on industry.