ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) – Alaska’s congressional delegation is responding on Monday — some members more vocally than others — to the White House’s announcement that President Joe Biden will ban new offshore oil and gas drilling along most of the U.S. coastline.

This order will protect approximately 625 million acres of ocean along America’s Atlantic and Pacific coasts, the Gulf of Mexico, and Alaska’s Bering Sea, citing environmental risks as one of the main reasons for the decision.

In a statement, President Biden, whose term expires in two weeks, said he is using authority under the federal Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act, which gives the president power to withdraw unleased lands from the outer continental shelf indefinitely.

Furthermore, he said that during his term, his administration has conserved more than 670 million acres of America’s lands and waters —more than any other president in history.

“Our country’s remarkable conservation and restoration progress has been locally led by Tribes, farmers and ranchers, fishermen, small businesses, and outdoor recreation enthusiasts across the country. Together, our ‘America the Beautiful’ initiative put the United States on track to meet my ambitious goal to conserve at least 30 percent of our Nation’s lands and waters by 2030,” President Biden said in a statement.

Reacting to the news on social media, newly sworn-in Rep. Nick Begich, R-Alaska, hit the ground running, calling the President a “son of a bitch” in a social media post on “X”.

Begich continued in the post saying, “Events like this should serve as a constant reminder that the Democratic machine is more than willing to sacrifice us all for their sanctimonious, socialist-driven climate science.”

Speaking to Alaska’s News Source on Monday, Begich said sometimes, in Congress, you have to “shout to be heard.”

“I’m sorry that we had to say what we did, but I’m not sorry that we did it, and I will continue to be a strong voice for Alaska while I’m in Congress,” Begich said.

The Biden Administration stated that the withdrawal will safeguard 44 million acres of the Northern Bering Sea, located in far northwest Alaska. The Alaskan congressional delegation has previously opposed proposals to permit oil and gas leasing and drilling in this region.

Opposing what he describes as a last-minute move by the Biden Administration, Sen. Dan Sullivan, R-Alaska, stated on Monday that he has never advocated for resource development in the Bering Sea area, as there is limited resource potential in that region.

Sullivan’s frustration lies in the unilateral process that the Biden Administration aims to use to make such a broad, sweeping move. Furthermore, Sullivan says the administration did not consult Alaska’s congressional delegation before announcing it.

“We’ve had 68 executive orders and executive actions singularly focused on Alaska by the Biden-Harris Administration. They did not consult with us on probably even one of them,” Sullivan said. “It’s no exaggeration to say this administration has sanctioned Alaskans and our energy industry more than he sanctioned the terrorist regimes in Iran and Venezuela.”

Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, echoed Sullivan in a statement released Monday saying she understands the Biden Administration is trying to establish its “environmental legacy” before leaving office, but she believes the “11th-hour” move is the wrong approach.

She went on to say she agrees not all offshore areas need to be available for development and understands the desire of Alaska Tribes in the region to prevent any oil and gas development in nearby waters.

Her frustrations, like Sullivan’s, are broader.

“Cook Inlet is a good example: instead of working with Alaskans to prevent looming energy shortages in Southcentral, the administration has actively worked against our ability to produce more natural gas from that basin. What we have faced over the past four years is an unbalanced policy that has left us on the verge of importing LNG,” Murkowski said.

Speaking to the Biden Administration’s concerns about man-made catastrophes, such as the Deepwater Horizon oil spill that took the lives of eleven people and released millions of barrels of oil into the Gulf of Mexico, Begich acknowledged that the fishing industry is vital to Alaska.

However, he emphasized the importance of examining Alaska’s track record concerning these issues.

“We have the highest environmental standards in Alaska, as of any jurisdiction in the world. When you shut down areas like Alaska, you’re just pushing that work to a jurisdiction with lower environmental standards and a worse record,” Begich said.

When asked about what Alaska’s congressional delegation is doing in light of a new administration that touts the unleashing of Alaska’s national resource potential, Sullivan said he has a meeting scheduled with North Dakota Governor (Doug) Burgum on Tuesday. Burgum has been nominated by President-elect Trump as the new Secretary of the Interior and as the chairman of the newly formed National Energy Council.

“What we’re working on with them is to look at ways in which we can reverse many of these executive orders, either through a Trump Administration executive order or through legislation,” Sullivan said.

He stated the delegation is examining what is known as budget reconciliation provisions.

“We’re going to try and get passed in the law that focus on unleashing American energy. And when you unleash American energy, you have to unleash Alaska,” Sullivan said.

Begich added that unraveling the Biden Administration’s latest order using provisions under the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act could be difficult and may require an act of Congress.

“The Act that President Biden has invoked has some very specific language that may be challenging to repeal when President Trump takes office,” Begich said.

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For two years in a row, the Alaska Department of Fish and Game canceled the snow crab season in the Bering Sea after biologists discovered an estimated 10 billion crabs had mysteriously disappeared — a 90% plunge in the population.

Now, fishermen are once again allowed to catch snow crabs — but they’re facing uncertainty as the species has only rebounded to a small fraction of what it once was. Meanwhile, some are still dealing with the consequences of the two-year pause.

“It’s been extremely difficult,” said commercial fisherman Gabriel Prout, who’s based on Kodiak Island. “There’s not a lot you can do. These boats are specifically designed to go out and catch crab, so we’re over $4 million in debt.”

Biologists blamed the rapid decline of snow crab on a 2018 climate-fueled heatwave. This “warming event” was initially thought of as a rare “lightning strike,” explained research biologist Ben Daly, but the “concern moving forward is that the predictions are suggesting higher frequency of lightning strikes in the future.”

Daly is now developing tracking devices to monitor snow crabs and identify healthy populations for sustainable harvesting.

“It helps us understand their movement patterns in response to environmental changes,” Daly said.

And it’s not just snow crabs that have been affected by warming waters. Other Alaskan species, like Pacific cod, king salmon and pollock have also experienced population decline. Between 2022 and 2023, Alaska’s seafood industry suffered a nearly $2 billion loss, according to NOAA. 

That industry extends to fish markets and dinner tables thousands of miles from Alaska. In some places, prices of Alaskan seafood have shot up nearly 60% in just a few years, according to Expana, which monitors pricing across the seafood industry.

“What the customer has to be aware of, more of what you’ll be eating will be imported, more of what you’ll be eating will be less regulated, more of what you’ll be eating will be caught with destructive fishing gear,” said Kenny Belov, who owns a seafood company and restaurant in California’s Bay Area.

In Kodiak, commercial fishing pots have returned to the water this season after officials lifted the two-year ban. The moratorium helped populations, but the quota will only be about a tenth of what it was three seasons ago.

“It’s hard to even consider a plan B when fishing is in my blood. I’m a third-generation fisherman,” Prout said.

For now, it’s a modest lifeline for fishermen who find themselves drifting deeper into the unknown.

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) – Active weather is building back across Alaska with temperatures 10 to 30 degrees warmer than Sunday morning. This stretch of warm and wet weather will remain through the week with high winds impacting areas of Southcentral and the Alaska Range. The strongest winds will occur today (Monday), with winds gusting as high as 85 mph in some of the harder-hit areas.

SOUTHCENTRAL:

Most of Southcentral is waking up to a variety of weather alerts. From high winds to freezing rain, heavy rain to snow, Southcentral will see a mixed bag of precipitation impacting the region. This comes as a strong low moves out of the Northern Pacific Ocean and lifts northward through the Gulf of Alaska.

While the winds are not terribly gusty this morning, expect a gradual increase in winds through the afternoon. The strongest winds will occur through the Matanuska Valley, Anchorage Hillside, Turnagain Arm, Portage and Cordova. These locations can expect to see winds gusting as high as 75 mph, with higher wind gusts along the Anchorage Hillside and through Portage. It’s here where winds could gusts up to 85 mph, with occasional gusts of 100 mph for Portage. Be prepared for possible power outages and downed trees where winds whip the longest.

While the rest of Southcentral won’t see high winds, gusts of 20 to 50 mph still look possible. These winds will be responsible for a quick climb in temperatures today, with all of Southcentral seeing highs climbing above freezing. The potential for highs to climb well into the 40s will occur where winds remain the strongest and mixing occurs. The warmest stretch of weather looks to arrive this evening where the winds will remain the strongest.

In addition to the winds, a mixed bag of precipitation will fall across Southcentral. Expect hazardous roads wherever there is rain and freezing rain.

Rain will largely impact coastal areas, where 2 to 5 inches of accumulation looks likely through the middle of the week. Further inland where temperatures remain below freezing, a mix and/or freezing rain will occur through the first part of the day. Some areas of Southcentral have already seen light rain showers through the night, which led to a coating of ice on windshields left out in the elements. Up to a quarter of an inch of freezing rain is possible for parts of Southcentral, with the best potential for accumulation occurring in the Mat-Su Valley, Anchorage and into the Copper River Basin this evening. Western parts of the Kenai will see the potential for a glaze of ice, before enough warm air moves in to transition to rain.

While freezing rain and winds look to cause concerns for parts of Southcentral, heavy snow will also impact areas of the Copper River Basin and near Thompson Pass. While only 6 to 12 inches looks likely through the Copper River Basin, Thompson Pass could see 2 to 3 feet of snow accumulation. This could change as temperatures continue to steadily warm. Valdez is already sitting at freezing this morning, meaning the city could see more of a rain event, while the pass holds onto heavy wet snow.

Precipitation and winds die down into Tuesday, with only scattered areas remaining. While inland areas remain primarily dry through Wednesday, another storm system looks to arrive later this week. This upcoming storm could once again bring more winds, freezing rain and continued warmth for Southcentral.

SOUTHEAST:

A winter storm warning remains in effect for Skagway, Haines and Klukwan until noon. Two to 4 inches of snow will fall, with winds gusting up to 35 mph. As the snow tapers off, more snow and rain move in through the night. While snow and areas of wintry mix will primarily impact the Northern Panhandle, the rest of Southeast will see wet and windy conditions. As the rain builds in this evening, we’ll see 1 to 2 inches spread across the panhandle.

Active and wet weather looks to remain through much of the week. As a result, expect daily rain and winds will remain in the forecast. While some days will provide some much needed dry time, the overall weather pattern favors wet weather through the end of this week. We’ll see daily highs climbing into the 40s, keeping much of Southeast seeing rain. The only exception will be parts of the Northern Panhandle, where enough cold air remains that we could see pockets of wintry mix.

INTERIOR:

Temperatures in the Interior continue to warm, with many locations seeing highs 20 to 35 degrees warmer than last week. This week will bring very warm conditions to the Interior, with many locations warming into the 10s and 20s. The only exception will be for locations near the Alaska Range (highs expected in the 20s) and the Eastern Interior (highs in the 0s and 10s.).

Areas of the Alaska Range will see gusty winds develop throughout the day and linger through the middle of the week. Winds will gust upwards of 85 mph, with some of the strongest winds occurring north of Trims Camp. In addition to the winds, the Alaska Range will see several inches of snowfall. Blizzard conditions are possible, with 4 to 7 inches of snow accumulation. Most of the snow will fall in the Southern Denali Borough and the Eastern Alaska Range, south of Trims Camp.

While no alerts are in place, snow will also spread north through the Interior this week. Up to an inch of snow, if not slightly more, is expected for the rest of the Interior through the middle of the week. While this shouldn’t lead to any traffic issues, as temperatures warm this week, we could see some slick spots develop across parts of the Interior.

Daily highs for Fairbanks will warm well into the 10s and 20s, with an outside chance we could see a few 30s popping up across the Interior. While the better chance for that will be near the Alaska Range, inland areas of the Interior will also see a stretch of warmer weather.

SLOPE/WESTERN ALASKA:

Cold weather remains for the Slope, with gusty winds expected to stick around through the day. This will lead to some areas of blowing snow and wind chills near -40 in some spots. Strong winds look to impact parts of the Western Brooks Range, where gusts up to 60 to 70 mph look possible. As a result of this, a high wind warning goes into effect later today through Tuesday evening.

While little to no snow is expected for much of the Slope, areas fo the Beaufort Sea Coastline and Arctic Plains could see a few inches of accumulation this evening through Wednesday. 1 to 3 inches looks possible for the immediate coastline, with areas of the Brooks Range seeing 3 to 5 inches. If you’re traveling through Atigun Pass, be prepared for blowing snow and visibility down to half a mile at times.

While things will remain largely dry for Western Alaska, gusty winds will be an issue today. Winds of 30 to 70 mph look possible, with areas of blowing snow leading to reduced visibility. Although not as warm, Western Alaska will see highs today climbing into the 10s. With strong winds sticking around, many areas will see wind chills remain well below zero today.

Through Southwest Alaska, scattered to periodic snow showers look to remain in the forecast. 3 to 6 inches looks to be the best bet for most locations, with the heaviest snow falling from Dillingham, northeast to Koliganek and Stuyahok. While snow looks to be the primary precipitaton today, warmer weather tomorrow could lead to some areas of rain and snow for southwest.

ALEUTIANS:

Light rain showers and winds are impacting the Aleutians this morning, with less than a quarter of an inch for most areas. While some areas of the Alaska Peninsula may see some light snow showers, a warmer push of air will lead to most areas seeing rain in the forecast. We’ll keep with gusty winds and mild temperatures this week, as daily highs warm into the 30s and 40s.

One thing to watch will be increasing winds for parts of St. Lawrence Island and parts of the Bering Sea, where winds will remain quite gusty. Gusts up to 60 mph will be possible, with areas of freezing spray for the Bering Sea, Pribilofs, Nunivak island and areas of St. Lawrence Island.

OUTLOOK AHEAD:

A warmer weather pattern looks to grip much of the state for the next few weeks. Daily highs will likely stay at or above freezing in Southcentral, with the Interior not dropping back below zero until late next week. Numerous storm systems look to take aim on Alaska over the next 2 weeks, with a mixed bag of precipitation to be expected. There’s not good chance of snow in the forecast for Anchorage and surrounding locations. While we could see a brief opportunity for snow over the next week, expect little accumulation if any.

Have a safe and wonderful start to your week.

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