In a gorgeous warm May this year, we have not yet sniffed the bitter scent of flaming spruce. When we do, many of us will think back to a year that still haunts us. In summer 2004, a Vermont-sized patch of Alaska burned in wildfires. That hazy summer was the most extreme fire year in […]
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Lisa Murkowski Tuesday introduced the bipartisan Icebreaker Recapitalization Act with Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA) that would authorize the U.S. Navy to construct up to 6 heavy icebreakers. The new icebreakers would be designed and operated by the Coast Guard. The Coast Guard is the sole service responsible for icebreaking missions. “As […]
Sluggish mosquitoes, sprung from the leaves where they overwintered. Moths and butterflies flitting the fields and south-facing slopes. Beetles skittering along in pinstripe-grooved exoskeletons. How many insects are stirring on the surface of Alaska? That’s a fun but hard-to-answer question that Derek Sikes recently pondered in response to writer and wilderness guide Michael Engelhard. I […]
ANCHORAGE – Governor Bill Walker signed an Arctic policy bill into law Monday, taking a major step forward in defining Alaska’s involvement in Arctic development. Sponsored by Representative Bob Herron of Bethel, HB 1 outlines the state’s priorities for Arctic policy and spells out ways in which the state will attain those priorities. “As the […]