Arctic

Sen. Dan Sullivan said the Arctic is the next arena of great military power competition, and Russia has built up a lot more infrastructure on its side.

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. 

The Obama administration listed the Arctic ringed seal under the Endangered Species Act in 2012, citing the effects of climate change on the ringed seal’s sea ice habitat.

The new punishment is meant to educate the rule-breaker and people in the community about the reasons for the precautions.

A team of international researchers found that heat from rivers melted as much as 10% of Arctic sea ice between 1980 and 2015.

Villages from the Yukon River Delta north to Kivalina reported severe weather, including high seas.

One climatologist forecasts sea ice will form late, the extent will be below average, and it will be similar to last year’s.

Last year saw the lowest fall sea ice extent in the Chukchi Sea on record — and this year’s sea ice extent is still way below the historical average.

The Alaska Federation of Natives Convention came to a close Friday with little discussion about how to respond to climate change.