Alaska's Energy Desk

A 40-foot humpback whale was caught in tanner crab pot gear that, resident Gordon Chew said, came from Kodiak around 630 miles away.

This year was the second warmest on record in the Arctic, with impacts to sea ice, erosion and marine ecosystems.

According to the statement of sale posted online Monday, the minimum bid will be $25 per acre. Companies can submit their sealed bids to Bureau of Land Management between Dec. 21 and Dec. 31. Those bids will be unsealed at the 10 a.m. auction on Jan. 6, which will be broadcast online. 

For opponents of the project, the Army Corps’ decision released a wave of relief. For those who backed the project, the decision comes as a harsh blow.

In a last-minute push, the Trump administration announced Thursday that it will auction off drilling rights in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in just over a month, setting up a final showdown with opponents before President-elect Joe Biden takes office.

Officials say the fuel was transferred from a city fuel tank to the plant tank, though the transfer was left unattended for about 7 1/2 hours before the operator was alerted to the spill and shut off the valve at roughly 10 p.m.

While the island has yet to see widespread transmission of the virus, local health officials say they anticipate more positive cases with the upcoming influx of workers for the winter fishing season.

Kivalina sits on a barrier island, surrounded by the Chukchi Sea. The area is prone to heavy wind and rainstorms. The protection of sea ice has become less reliable and sea levels have risen with climate change.

The hydro project’s proponents hope it will lower the cost of energy and bring the community one step closer to energy independence.

The chum salmon run on the Chilkat was a record low this year — just a fraction of the expected return. It’s impacted the whole ecosystem: eagles, fishermen and bears.