Protect the Western Arctic Caribou Herd in Less Than 5 Minutes!

Tell BLM TO SELECT THE “NO ACTION” ALTERNATIVE

The state of Alaska is planning on building an industrial access road, known as the Ambler Road, along the southern Brooks Range. Why? To transport ore from a network of planned open pit copper mines in the northwest arctic.

Where is the proposed road?
The road would cross an area managed by the National Park Service, including 16 million contiguous acres, the largest in the country. This acreage includes Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve, Kobuk Valley National Park, Noatak National Preserve, Bering Land Bridge National Preserve, and Cape Krusenstern National Monument. These lands encompass a continuous ecologically intact landscape covering the western Brooks Range. This acreage alone is larger than the top 10 largest national parks in the contiguous U.S. combined — Death Valley, Yellowstone, Everglades, Grand Canyon, Glacier, Olympic, Sequoia, Big Bend, Joshua Tree and Yosemite — plus the state of Connecticut!

How would wildlife be impacted?
The landscape is also home to the Western Arctic Caribou Herd with more than 180,000 animals, making it one of the largest populations of caribou in North America. This herd travels up to 2,700 miles every year, the distance of Seattle, Washington, to Miami, Florida.

The proposed road, cutting from east to west across the north-south migration route of the caribou, could pose a serious barrier for the herd in its annual journey. There is scientific concern that the caribou would avoid the road and the industrial traffic along it, moving further west and away from Alaska Native villages that depend on the caribou for traditional subsistence use. If the road were to ever become public, it would put significant hunting pressures on the herd, further disrupting the historic migration patterns.

The road is just one piece to a larger story of industrialization of Northwest Alaska. The road would literally pave the way for the Ambler Mining District, which would only accelerate further development and activity that caribou would seek to avoid. Meanwhile, the herd population is currently in decline, dropping 23% in the last two years. The Western Arctic Caribou Herd will need its vast range to remain intact in order to adapt in a changing climate.

How can I help?

It's easy! Submit a comment to BLM by December 22, 2023. 
Tell the BLM to protect the Western Arctic Caribou Herd by choosing the No Action Alternative in the Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS) : 
https://eplanning.blm.gov/eplanning-ui/project/57323/595/8004057/comment

Spread the word and share with others! Thank you for your support!

Another publication! Geographic Origins of Shorebirds Using an Alaskan Estuary during Migration

Geographic Origins of Shorebirds Using an Alaskan Estuary during Migration

Authors: Ulman, Sadie E.G., Van Wilgenburg, Steven L., Morton, John M., and Williams, Christopher K.

Source: Waterbirds, 46(1) : 47-56

Published By: The Waterbird Society

URL: https://doi.org/10.1675/063.046.0107

Abstract.—Chickaloon Flats, Kenai National Wildlife Refuge, is an 11,000-ha tidal mudflat complex in upper Cook Inlet, Alaska. One-third (23 of 70) of Alaskan shorebird species use this protected coastal estuary stopover during migration. We conducted an isotopic approach to estimate probable breeding, staging and/or non-breeding origins of six shorebird species, some of high conservation concern, using Chickaloon during spring and fall migration of 2009 and 2010. We analyzed stable-hydrogen (d2H), carbon (d13C), and nitrogen (d15N) isotope ratios from feathers and performed a likelihood-based assignment to infer North and South American origins. Estimated molting distributions for Greater Yellowlegs (Tringa melanoleuca) occurred in southwest Alaska, and south-central Alaska for Short-billed Dowitcher (Limnodromus griseus caurinus). Lesser Yellowlegs (Tringa flavipes) likely molted in western Alaska and a latitudinal band across Canada and wintered throughout the contiguous United States. Least Sandpipers (Calidris minutilla) wintered from Oregon and south in North America but showed an isotopically similar possibility in Ecuador, Colombia, and Venezuela. Long-billed Dowitchers (Limnodromus scolopaceus) molted primaries across western United States and Canada. Pectoral Sandpipers (Calidris melanotos) likely molted near Rio de La Plata in southeastern South America. These results highlight the overall value of Chickaloon Flats as a stopover for long-distance shorebird migrants. Received 29 Mar 2022, accepted 7 Aug 2023.

Read the full article here!

We Published! Impact of Climate Change on Alaska Natives in December 2023 Journal of Environmental Health

We Published! Impact of Climate Change on Alaska Natives in December 2023 Journal of Environmental Health

From the abstract: Alaska, with its unique geographical and ecological characteristics, is experiencing the detrimental effects of climate change at an alarming rate. The Alaska Native (AN) population, deeply connected to the land and its resources, faces disproportionate vulnerability to these impacts. We call attention to climate change impacts on AN food sovereignty, mental and behavioral health, cultural and spiritual practices, resiliency and adaptation, and how local Alaskan organizations are addressing climate change impacts.

This article also highlights the urgent need for environmental public health professionals to engage with AN and Native American communities, address health inequities, and participate in mitigation and adaptation efforts to address the environmental public health threats and consequences of climate change. Increasing awareness of climate- related health impacts on these communities is crucial and immediate actions are needed to support safer, healthier, and more sustainable and climate-resilient communities. Government agencies at all levels should also seek to integrate perspectives from Indigenous Peoples, engage in co-management strategies, and provide equitable funding and support for Indigenous communities. Unity, resilience, and adaptation become attainable goals by joining communities in caring for the environment. This message resonates not only in Alaska but also globally, highlighting the need for collective action in the face of climate change.

AWA Publication: Reimagining large river management

AWA Publication: Reimagining large river management

From the abstract, “Anticipating and managing climate-induced ecosystem transformations in large rivers is particularly challenging given their inherently complex socio-ecological dynamics that often cross jurisdictional boundaries. We examine how the Resist-Accept-Direct (RAD) framework can facilitate informed decision making and a more cohesive and proactive approach to managing ecological trajectories…”

AWA's Kenai Peninsula Coordinator wins NOAA Partners in the Spotlight award!

AWA's Kenai Peninsula Coordinator wins NOAA Partners in the Spotlight award!

Our Kenai Peninsula Coordinator, Teresa Becher, was just awarded a 2023 'Partners in the Spotlight Award' from NOAA fisheries! These national awards recognize partners who have expanded and enhanced recovery of the country's most imperiled marine species.

AWA in the news: One of the Largest Caribou Herds in Alaska is Careening Towards Extinction

AWA in the news: One of the Largest Caribou Herds in Alaska is Careening Towards Extinction

“In the past three decades, the Mulchatna caribou herd of southwestern Alaska has gone from nearly 200,000 to 12,000. Last year, the state wildlife agency’s Board of Game started to explore ways to help the struggling population. It landed on a controversial solution called "intensive management," also called predator control, which directs wildlife officials to indiscriminately kill predators. It was the first time the state included bears in the hunt, a decision that had no public process and was conducted without bear population estimates.”