The U.S. Interior Department said there would be no searching for oil in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge this winter because Kaktovik Iñupiat Corp. failed to meet a key deadline. In a strongly-worded statement Thursday, KIC said the Interior provided a “blatant mischaracterization” of what happened.
"U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service"
Kaktovik Iñupiat Corporation misses deadline for seismic work in Arctic refuge this winter
The missed deadline effectively kills the corporation’s proposal to use seismic exploration to search for oil in part of the Arctic refuge’s coastal plain this winter.
Biden’s pick for Interior secretary is a passionate foe of drilling in Arctic Refuge
The New Mexico Democrat is a member of the Pueblo of Laguna tribe. If confirmed by the Senate, she would be the first Indigenous American to serve as a cabinet secretary.
Environmental groups say Pebble could threaten the endangered Cook Inlet beluga whale
The Marine Mammal Commission estimated that 1,300 belugas were in Cook Inlet in 1972. Now there are fewer than 269 whales left.
Endangered Species petition filed for Southeast Alaska wolves
The Center for Biological Diversity argues Alexander Archipelago wolves are being targeted by hunters and their habitat is under threat.
Under proposed Trump changes to Migratory Bird Act, Exxon wouldn’t have been fined for Valdez spill, advocacy groups say
The Trump administration last month proposed to narrow the scope of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. That could have profound impacts on how industry players approach development in Alaska.
Kaktovik is crawling with polar bears. Now a man is going to prison for wasting one.
The case shows how it’s become common for polar bears to disrupt village life in Kaktovik, which sits on an island at the edge of the Beaufort Sea. As climate change melts sea ice and drives the bears ashore, residents say they’ve been under increasing stress.
Western Arctic caribou populations stable, though officials worry about warming climate
A warmer climate in the area is having an effect on permafrost and vegetation that caribou eat.
Polar bear protections delayed oil exploration in the Arctic Refuge. A new study could help.
By using heat-sensing cameras to detect dens, and accepting strict limits on when to survey, impacts could be dramatically reduced.
Solutions sought to ease conflicts over Southeast Alaska’s rising sea otter populations
Sea otters are rapidly recolonizing Southeast Alaska. But that wildlife success story breeds challenges as they compete with commercial fishermen.