Canning River, Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, Brooks Range, Alaska, where the Trump administration proposes oil drilling. Photo George Wuerthner.
One of the first Executive Orders from the Trump Whitehouse is to reverse environmental protections for federal lands in Alaska and hasten, expand, and encourage resource development.
Sec. 2. Policy. It is the policy of the United States to:
(a) fully avail itself of Alaska’s vast lands and resources for the benefit of the Nation and the American citizens who call Alaska home;
(b) efficiently and effectively maximize the development and production of the natural resources located on both Federal and State lands within Alaska;
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(c) expedite the permitting and leasing of energy and natural resource projects in Alaska; and
(d) prioritize the development of Alaska’s liquified natural gas (LNG) potential, including the sale and transportation of Alaskan LNG to other regions of the United States and allied nations within the Pacific region.
Prudhoe Bay oil development Alaska. Photo George Wuerthner
Trump appears eager to specifically negate all of President Biden’s conservation efforts in the state. It almost seems like a vendetta against Biden, as if he personally wants to wipe out any conservation efforts the former President enacted.
Logging on the Tongass National Forest, Alaska.
Trump’s order says: rescind, revoke, revise, amend, defer, or grant exemptions from any and all regulations, orders, guidance documents, policies, and any other similar agency actions that are inconsistent with the policy set forth in section 2 of this order, including but not limited to agency actions promulgated, issued, or adopted between January 20, 2021, and January 20, 2025;
Alaska pipeline TAPS near Delta Junction Alaska George Wuerthner
OIL AND GAS DEVELOPMENT
Trump’s executive order rescinds any cancellation of oil and gas leases in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Trump orders the federal agencies to issue all permits, right-of-way permits, and easements necessary for the exploration, development, and production of oil and gas from leases within the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge;
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Musk ox on the coastal plain of the Arctic Wildlife Refuge in the area proposed for oil development. Photo George Wuerthner
However, Trump’s order goes well beyond the Arctic Refuge. He also wants to negate any protection for Coastal Plaine oil and gas leasing.
Cottongrass on the Coastal Plain near the Arctic Ocean where oil and gas leasing is proposed, Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, Alaska. Photo George Wuerthner
Trump also wants to expand oil development on the National Petroleum Reserve and to eliminate any special protected areas within the reserve.
Many Alaskan natives support the oil development proposals and other resource extraction in the state.
ROADS THROUGH WILDLANDS
Narvik Lake at the headwaters of the Kobuk River near the proposed route of the Ambler Road. Photo George Wuerthner
AMBLER ROAD ACROSS SOUTHERN BROOKS RANGE
Trump also ordered the BLM to approve the Ambler Road corridor, which the BLM under Biden had rejected. This road would travel from the pipeline haul road (Dalton Highway) across the southern edge of the Brooks Range to access large copper deposits owned by Native Corporations in the headwaters of the Kobuk River.
Arregetch Peaks, Gates of the Arctic National Park. The Ambler Road, if built, would cross a portion of the national park. Photo George Wuerthner
The proposed road would cross the Gates of the Arctic NP and a number of Wild and Scenic Rivers. If the road is constructed, many fear this new access will increase the economic viability of other lands for potential mining and potential oil development.
IZEMBEK NATIONAL WILDLIFE ROAD THROUGH WILDERNESS
King Cove, Alaskan Peninsula.
Trump orders that the proposed road across designated wilderness in the Izembek NWR be permitted to go forward. This road was opposed by the Obama and Clinton administrations, as well as Jimmy Carter who was President when the original Izembek Refuge was established.
The Izembek Refuge is located on the Alaskan Peninsula and is a critical migratory route for many waterfowl.
Native people in the village of King Cove desire land access to the Cold Bay airstrip, providing year-round air travel.
If permitted to stand, any Sec. of Interior could authorize a road through designated wilderness. A proposed gold mine by Cook Inlet Native Corporation in Lake Clark National Park would require road access that Trump’s Sec. of Interior could grant if the Izembek road is authorized.
This proposal negates the Wilderness Act and has much larger implications than this single road.
Black Brant, one of the many waterfowl species dependent on Izembek’s lagoons. Photo FWS
During the first Trump administration, the road proposal was approved, The Biden Administration under Sec of Interior Haaland also approved of the road, likely because Aleuts in King Cove also supported the road.
If the road is allowed to go forward across designated wilderness, then any Sec. of Interior could approve roads across any designated wilderness.
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HUNTING AND TRAPPING
To its credit, the Biden administration tried to alter the worse hunting and trapping behavior permitted in National Park Preserves. While hunting and trapping are permitted in national preserves, the Biden ban outlawed baiting bears, killing wolf pups in dens, and shooting swimming caribou that were crossing rivers.
The Biden Administration proposed a ban on killing wolf pups and bear baiting, among other restrictions on hunting and trapping in Alaska National Park Preserves. The Trump administration seeks to reverse that decision. Photo George Wuerthner
These restrictions were opposed by many Alaskans, including the Alaska Federal of Natives, who claimed such a ban interfered with their traditional subsistence activities.
Shooting caribou swimming in rivers will again be legal due to Trump’s Executive Order. Photo George Wuerthner
Trump directs the National Park Service to rescind these rules.
Another provision of the Executive Order directs federal agencies to make all federal lands where hunting and trapping occur consistent with state land rules.
Trump’s new rules permit hunting and trapping of wolves along the border of Denali National Park. Photo George Wuerthner
For instance, there has been legal debate over wolf trapping along the border of Denali National Park, with the NPS arguing that wolves should be protected while the state argues that wolf trapping is legal.
NAVIGABLE WATERWAYS
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Trump ordered that the control of waterways, even in nationally protected lands like national parks or on Wild and Scenic Rivers, be “restored” to state authority.
The mouth of the Nation River in the Yukon Charley National Preserve, where conflict over the use of a hovercraft for moose hunting, has led to a debate over whether the state or national park service controls waterways in national park units. Photo George Wuerthner
This issue stems from a lawsuit about who controls “submerged lands” across Alaska. It stems from a lawsuit filed in 2007 dealing with a hunter who used a hovercraft to hunt moose on the Nation River.
Placer mining pollutes North Fork Birch Creek Wild and Scenic River Steese Mountains National Conservation Area Alaska George Wuerthner
The NPS bans hovercraft in the National Preserve. The state argues that it should control uses on these lands, including mining, use of motorized access, and other related issues.
ROADLESS LANDS
The Trump Executive Order places a “temporary moratorium on all activities and privileges authorized by the final rule and record of decision entitled “Special Areas; Roadless Area Conservation; National Forest System Lands in Alaska.”The carbon-rich old-growth forests of the Tongass NF AK will be opened for more logging under the Trump administration. Photo George Wuerthner
This would reverse a restriction on logging and roadbuilding in Alaskan roadless lands implemented by the Biden administration in 2023 and reinstate the rule opening up these lands to development enacted during the first Trump administration.
It primarily affects the Tongass and Chugach National Forests in Alaska, which hold substantial amounts of carbon in old-growth forests and where there are substantial roadless lands that would qualify for wilderness designation.
The roadless lands of the Tongass National Forest are under renewed threat from development. Photo George Wuerthner
The rest of the order has language exhorting federal agencies to avoid impeding or hindering any development in Alaska.
No doubt, lawsuits will be filed to stop or slow the implementation of these rules, and we can hope future administrations will recognize the value of Alaska’s wildlands.
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The Canning River in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge where new oil development may occur. Photo George Wuerthner
In some cases, economic considerations may thwart Trump’s agenda. For example, several oil lease sales were authorized on the coastal plain of the Arctic Wildlife Refuge in 2024, but there were no bids.
Mansfield Peninsula, Admiralty Island, Tongass NF, AK Photo George Wuerthner
The same is true for logging operations on the Tongass National Forest. Without federal subsidies, the cost of road construction is exorbitant, and the value of the timber doesn’t cover these costs.
Alaska’s wildlands are under assault from the Trump administration. Legal strategies can protect these lands from Trump’s vengeance. Alaska Range along Denali Highway, Alaska. Photo George Wuerthner
Nevertheless, I suspect Trump would argue expanding resource exploitation in Alaska is in the national interest, and if subsidies are necessary to implement resource extraction, his administration will find a way to fund it.
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) – The U.S. Coast Guard is considering homeporting up to four additional icebreakers in Alaska as part of a major expansion of its Arctic presence, Coast Guard Commandant Adm. Kevin Lunday told lawmakers during a U.S. Senate hearing Thursday.
Lunday made the comments while testifying before the Senate Commerce Subcommittee on Coast Guard, Maritime, and Fisheries, chaired by Sen. Dan Sullivan, R-Alaska, who has pushed for increased federal investment in Arctic security and maritime infrastructure.
“One of the first ones that I want them to present, among a range of options for consideration [and] decision, [to] me in consultation with Secretary Noem is for homeporting up to four icebreakers in Alaska,” Lunday said, adding that the Coast Guard is developing options for consideration as part of its long-term planning.
The potential expansion would draw from a fleet of 11 Arctic Security Cutters announced under the U.S.-Finland Icebreaker Agreement and the ICE Pact, and international framework aimed at strengthening icebreaking capacity among allied nations.
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Funding for at least three Arctic Security Cutters, along with the infrastructure to support them, was approved through the Working Families Tax Cut Act, a sweeping budget reconciliation measure that includes roughly $25 billion for Coast Guard modernization, the largest investment in the service’s history.
The funding package also includes money for the new cutters, aircraft and helicopters, as well as billions of dollars to repair and replace aging shore facilities nationwide.
Sullivan said the investments are critical as the Coast Guard faces growing demands across multiple regions while operating an aging fleet.
“The Coast Guard is being asked to do more across every theater,” Sullivan said, pointing to counter-drug operations enforcement against sanctioned vessels, Indo-Pacific missions, search-and-rescue operations, and efforts to combat illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing.
The Coast Guard currently operates a limited number of icebreakers, one of which has experienced prolonged mechanical issues. Sullivan cited a growing capability gap with other Arctic nations, including Russia, which operates dozens of ice-capable vessels.
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In addition to potential new icebreakers, Alaska is set to receive a range of Coast Guard assets and infrastructure upgrades, including funding for cutters, helicopters, aircraft, housing and shore facilities. A new Coast Guard pier in Juneau is already under development to support expanded Arctic and Pacific operations, and the polar icebreaker Storis is expected to homeport there.
Lunday voiced support for expanding Alaska’s shipbuilding and maintenance capabilities, particularly in Southeast and Southcentral Alaska, saying partnerships with private industry could improve efficiency and readiness.
The Coast Guard’s expanded presence is intended to strengthen maritime safety, national security, maritime safety and environmental response capabilities across Alaska’s vast coastline, according to Sullivan.
No final decision has been made of the homeporting of additional icebreakers, but Lunday said Alaska is under active consideration as the Coast Guard evaluated its future Arctic posture and presence.
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A federal judge has allowed ConocoPhillips to proceed with its winter exploration program in Alaska’s North Slope, over the objections of environmental and Indigenous groups.
On Tuesday, Chief Judge Sharon Gleason of the U.S. District Court for the District of Alaska said mitigation measures put in place by the Interior Department’s Bureau of Land Management were sufficient to address potential harms from the oil company’s exploration and seismic program in the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska (NPR-A).
Gleason, an Obama appointee, found that BLM had done a “reasonably thorough analysis” of effects from the program, which includes four exploration wells and a seismic survey over 300 miles in the reserve.
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She noted that the agency included measures such as prohibiting off-road travel when the soil isn’t sufficiently frozen and when there is less than 6 inches of snow. ConocoPhillips is also prohibited from bulldozing tundra mat and vegetation to make seismic lines.
A 35-second shot clock has been instituted at Alask’a 4A level for 2025-26 season. Many coaches believe it’s a positive move to increase pace of play and keep up with trends nationally. (Photo by Stephanie Burgoon)
After years of speculation and experimentation, the shot clock has officially become woven into the fabric of 4A basketball in Alaska, the highest level of high school competition.
Most teams got their first taste of what it’s like to play with a 35-second limit to get the ball to the rim during in-season tournaments in and out of the state over the past few years. Now it’s here to stay.
All boys and girls varsity games between 4A teams are required to use the shot clock, and coaches of some of the top teams in the state believe it’s long overdue.
“The shot clock has been good for us,” said Thomas Berg, head coach of the reigning 4A state champion Colony girls team. “I think there’s another layer of coaching that goes into the shot clock.”
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He specifically cited late-clock defense and offense as the two biggest challenges that require strategic adjustments.
“I’ve been a big fan of that this year,” Berg said. “That’s been fun for us. It doesn’t come up a lot. Most teams play fast enough, but down the stretch in quarters and in games, I think it’s a fun part that adds to the excitement of the basketball game.”
In his eyes, there was a lot of holding and moving the ball without any real offensive attempts at the prep basketball level for years. Berg said now in late-game situations, coaches don’t have to instruct their players to intentionally foul as often.
“If you get a stop and then stack those stops, you got a chance,” he said.
Although the idea of a shot clock has been considered in Alaska basketball circles for years, the Alaska School Activities Association officially instituted the shot clock rule at its Board of Directors meeting in December 2024. The motion passed in a 5-3 vote.
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Teams at the 1A, 2A and 3A levels are not required to use a shot clock but can utilize it in tournaments during the regular season or if both schools provide written consent to officials before a non-tournament game.
Chuck Martin is the head coach of the Bettye Davis East Anchorage boys team, the three-time defending 4A state champion, and has been a pillar in the Alaska high school basketball scene for decades. He has long been a proponent of the shot clock and is glad that it’s finally being implemented.
“Even though it’s new, it’s not hard for us to get used to it,” Martin said.
Some of his assistant coaches are still adjusting to it from a strategic standpoint during games, with one example being telling players to hold the ball for longer than the shot clock permits in the final minute of quarters.
“You can’t say ‘one shot’ with 41 seconds left, there’s a (35-second) shot clock,” Martin said. “I tell the players to go play.”
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Forest Wildcats senior forward Trey Chisolm from Ocala, Florida drives to the basket during a 56-38 victory over the West Valley Wolfpack in the opening round of the Alaska Airlines Classic at West Anchorage High School on Thursday, Jan. 22, 2026. (Bill Roth / ADN)
Unlike some of his coaching contemporaries around the state, he has extensive experience with the shot clock during other stretches of his career in different states and levels of competition.
In practice, his staff coaches situational basketball often, so this adaptation is just another wrinkle they have to review.
“The reality is the shot clock doesn’t really come into effect until later in the game,” Martin said.
So far this season, his team has done a good job of getting the ball out before the buzzer sounds, and their late-game operation when games are tight has just become an area of more focus.
He tells his players that the clock is irrelevant most of the time and that they’re going to run what they want to run because a shot-clock violation is not as detrimental of a penalty as others can be at times.
“It’s a dead-ball violation,” Martin said. “It’s better than throwing the ball to them and letting them make a layup, so we don’t sweat it. Our philosophy is that we’re not going to pay attention to the clock because we’re trying to score.”
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This year’s edition of the East boys team doesn’t have the post presence it has had in recent seasons. The Thunderbirds are relying more on speed and efficient shooting, so in Martin’s mind, the last thing they have to worry about is the shot clock.
“We’re going to shoot the 3 and we’re going to play the full court and we’re going to take the first shot we get,” he said. “The last couple years when we haven’t been a great shooting team … With this group, you got to let them shoot because that’s probably the best shot we’re going to get (at winning).”
Outsider’s perspective
During last week’s Alaska Airlines Classic tournament at West Anchorage High School, head coaches of two of three boys teams from out of state that participated shared their thoughts on playing with a shot clock.
For Shelby Lewis and his Central High School team from Little Rock, Arkansas, it was “nothing new” and business as usual.
“We’ve been doing the shot clock for the last six years,” he said.
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That wasn’t the case for Forest High School head coach Michael Hoffmann and his Wildcats from Ocala, Florida, who won the tournament.
Florida is one of the 18 states that does not mandate the use of a shot clock at the high school level. That won’t be the case for much longer, though, as it’s slated to join the other 32 states and the District of Columbia starting in the 2026-27 season.
“We love the shot clock,” Hoffmann said. “We’ve done it before because we travel a lot or try to.”
His team competed in a tournament in Tennessee last year that utilized the shot clock, and they experienced it on a couple different occasions this season prior to coming to Alaska.
“We want it because we’re a little bit of a quicker team and we’re hoping it gets installed next year,” Hoffmann said.
