America's Last Wild Frontier
Alaska and the Arctic
In Alaska you’ll find some of the largest and most sensitive tracts of wild land left on Earth. Yet these lands may not stay that way if the oil and gas and timber industries have their way.
The sheer wildness of Alaska is unmatched by any state, leaving most visitors to this land no less than awestruck. Soaring mountain ranges, rushing rivers and Arctic tundra provide critical habitat for salmon, polar bears, caribou, black and grizzly bears, whales, walruses, migratory birds and many other species. They also are home to Alaska’s indigenous people, who depend on wildlands as a source of food and clean water.
Why Alaska and the Arctic
Alaska is America’s last great, wild frontier. In Alaska you can still see caribou migrating through vast valleys, salmon streams running through ancient forests and polar bears roaming icy shores of the Arctic Ocean.
Stories from Alaska
From the Tongass National Forest in the south to the Arctic coastal plain in the north, Alaska is full of inspiration, as the locals will tell you.
Experience Alaska
Some people spend their lives dreaming of a trip to Alaska. From misty islands in Alaska’s panhandle to the tundra covered plains of the Arctic Refuge, there is much to see.
Alaska focus areas
The Wilderness Society’s work in Alaska focuses primarily on four key areas that are at risk from oil and gas development and logging.
Other campaigns in Alaska
There is no time to waste and the scale of the threat is huge. Global warming is already affecting Alaska and will do so for decades to come.
Help protect Alaska and the Arctic
Alaska is renowned for some of the most beautiful, wild scenery in the world. A land of epic wildlife migrations and vast undeveloped wilderness, Alaska truly is the nation’s last, great wild frontier.
Notes from the Hill
Stay current on legislation moving in Congress, issues affecting wilderness and wilderness designation campaigns with our Notes from the Hill.
Take Action
Add your voice to important wilderness causes and take action to stop threats to our wildlands by joining our community of wilderness activists.
Policy and Science Library
Find fact sheets, reports and other resources related to wilderness policy and conservation.
Friday, May 24, 2013The U.S. Coast Guard began multi-day investigatory hearings on May 20 into Royal Dutch Shell's drilling rig the Kulluk, which went aground near Kodiak Island, Alaska, last New Year’s Eve.
Thursday, May 23, 2013Which is why this week legislation that would protect these lands was introduced yet again, granting these lands another opportunity for well-deserved recognition and conservation.
Wednesday, May 15, 2013Yet, here we are, with people and the government unable to stop furloughs, job losses, and lower revenue to keep the government functioning. Our public lands have certainly not been spared from this indiscriminate budget ax.
Tuesday, April 2, 2013But Alaska’s Sen. Lisa Murkowski refused to accept that decision. She and residents of the tiny community of King Cove are fighting to have the decision overturned.
Tuesday, March 19, 2013Birdwatchers travel from far and wide to northwest Colorado to see male sage-grouse strut their stuff in hopes of attracting a mate. Early spring is prime season to catch these timid grouse dancing on the lek and shaking their tail feathers through organized tours.
Members of the Western Clean Energy Advocates (WCEA), signed a letter encouraging Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper to to sign SB 252, to increase the renewable energy portfolio standard for rural electric providers
. WCEA is a diverse and growing coalition working to transform the way we produce, use, and distribute energy across the West. WCEA aims to create jobs, protect the West’s water, wildlife, and ecosystems, address climate change, and enhance energy security.
Smart Steps to Establish a Responsible Program for Renewable Energy on Public Lands
Since its first day in office, the Obama Administration has made rapid and responsible expansion of renewable energy a top priority. The public lands have played a major role in achieving early goals, but only because of focused effort to correct decades of inattention and inactivity toward developing renewable energy as a major component of the nation’s energy mix.
Expanding energy development to meet the growing needs of America must be balanced with protecting vital wild places.
The Wilderness Society has launched a new quarterly report "By The Numbers" to track how many acres of American land have been protected by Congress and the Executive branch, and how many acres have been leased out to energy development.
Wednesday, May 22, 2013Witness testimony today by Noble’s Offshore Installation Manager Todd Case as he was questioned by the National Transportation Safety Board revealed that the Kulluk drill rig -- which Shell attempted to tow across the Gulf of Alaska with a single tow vessel before it broke loose and ran aground last New Year’s Eve -- should have had multiple tow vessels for safe transport.
Case was aboard the Kulluk when it went adrift and ran aground on a small island south of Kodiak.
Tuesday, May 21, 2013U.S. Representatives Don Young and Doc Hastings have introduced H.R. 1964 in an effort to scrap the Department of the Interior’s recently finalized, comprehensive plan for the western Arctic’s National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska, the nation’s largest tract of public land. The bill is scheduled for a hearing tomorrow on Capitol Hill.
Monday, May 20, 2013Identifying smart steps the Obama Administration, including the Department of the Interior and Bureau of Land Management, can take to continue building a responsible program for renewable energy are part of a “blueprint for action” released by The Wilderness Society today.