Environment

Gov. Dunleavy trims $225M with budget vetoes but leaves school funding boost intact

Dunleavy trimmed funding for Head Start, the Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute and rural broadband, among other line-item vetoes.
land

‘We will be made whole’: Land exchange meant to right an Exxon Valdez oversight

Sen. Lisa Murkowski's proposal addresses problems that stem from a massive land buyout after the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill.
Petersburg

Many Southeast Alaska salmon runs expected to be fairly good this year

As commercial salmon fishing gets under way in Southeast Alaska, projections for salmon returns are up.
the McDonald Fire

More than 100 wildfires are burning in Alaska, many of them in the Interior

Smokejumpers are responding to some of the fires, which are largely burning in remote areas of the state.
salmon

Much of Juneau’s king salmon fishery will close this summer, because of a 2020 landslide

Most of the chinook that were supposed to come back this year were killed after the landslide severed a hatchery's freshwater supply.
crabbers

Relief applications open for Alaska’s 2019 and 2020 crab fisheries disasters

Years after two crab fisheries disasters occurred in the Norton Sound and Bering Sea, millions in relief funds are finally available to affected fishers.
a proposed mine site

Federal case challenging Donlin mine’s environmental impact statement heads to court

Six Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta tribes continue to fight against federal permitting for the proposed Donlin Gold mine project.
The community of Ambler along the Kobuk river as seen from the air

Sullivan amendment to defense bill would revive Ambler Road

The Biden administration nixed a proposal to build a road to the Ambler mining district. Sen. Sullivan wants to override that decision.
a woman

Climate change is muddying the future of trail maintenance in Southeast Alaska

Crews face more intense mud, erosion and wash-outs wreaking havoc on trails as human-caused climate change makes rainstorms more extreme.
two men

Petersburg wolf trapper featured on hunting show ‘MeatEater’

A guide reluctantly showcased his talent for trapping wolves, along with his love and respect for them, on a popular hunting program.
the Red Dog Mine

Red Dog’s dwindling ore is forcing the entire region to consider its future

The mine — an economic engine in Northwest Alaska — could close as soon as 2031.
the outside of a multi-story building at night.

New Alaska water quality rules are coming. Here’s what that could mean for wastewater systems.

Some difficult-to-treat compounds could present costly challenges, said the head of Alaska's largest water system.
an icebreaker

Coast Guard icebreaker Healy headed to Alaska for 3 Arctic research missions

This year's cruises by the nation's biggest icebreaker will support long-term ocean research and help train young scientists.

Federally funded heat pumps are coming to Prince of Wales Island

Spruce Root partnered with Alaska Power & Telephone to secure the $2.5 million award, which will also support a technician training program.
A man in waders and bright orange gloves holds a chum salmon by a river.

An influx of chum salmon in the Canadian Arctic could be the same fish missing from Western Alaska

A recent study found that climate change is expanding salmon habitat into the Arctic, but the new fish aren’t exactly welcome in Canada.
Kuskokwim Bay

Reported trawling too close to Kuskokwim Bay draws industry response

Social media posts feature marine traffic maps showing vessels' locations. One post reads “six trawlers right outside the mouth of Kuskokwim.”
the trans-Alaska pipeline

Environmental groups ask feds to reconsider the trans-Alaska pipeline and plan for its removal

Petitioners say the climate impact of oil merits another look at the pipeline that transformed Alaska. Gov. Dunleavy responded with derision.
Spruce trees

As Alaska’s boreal forest warms, land managers face tough questions about how, or whether, to respond

Reporter Lois Parshley explores whether and when humans should accept, resist or direct climate change's impacts.
a man

A petition to put king salmon on the endangered species list is raising alarm across Alaska

People across Alaska are reacting to a petition that would grant Gulf of Alaska king salmon Endangered Species Act protections.
lightning

In Juneau, years can pass without a thunderstorm. Why are they so rare?

The National Weather Service has only issued one severe thunderstorm warning in Southeast Alaska since the 1890s.
a fish

Climate change disruptions to Alaska marine fisheries scrutinized at Kodiak workshop

It is hard to address sudden shocks like marine heatwaves that are expected to be more frequent, participants said.
A structure, with mountains in the background, painted with Tlingit art.

Suit asserting Metlakatla tribal members’ right to fish off-reservation heads for trial

A trial in federal court is expected to determine where Metlakatla Indian Community members can fish without state permits.
skiffs

Yukon River communities balance conservation, survival amid near-total salmon fishing closures

The recently signed seven-year agreement to close chinook fishing was “the bold step that needed to be taken,” a federal manager says.
A young woman in a blue puffy jacket and navy beanie poses inside of a glacial ice cave.

8 young Alaskans reignite a court fight over climate change and fossil fuel development

Sagoonick v. State II seeks to block a controversial natural gas project and asks the court to recognize Alaskans’ right to a livable climate.
a person stands at the lip of an empty basin

Last year’s record outburst flood took Juneau by surprise. As Suicide Basin refills, scientists are working to improve their forecasts.

Last summer, 13 billion gallons of water burst out in a flood that was bigger and more damaging than any before.

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