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.
Monday, May 20, 2013The Forest Service proposed a ban last year on horizontal drilling, also known as fracking. Their decision will determine how this forest is managed for at least the next decade.
Monday, May 20, 2013National Trails Day on Saturday June 1st provides numerous opportunities to hike, run, and horseback ride on a trail near you.
Thursday, May 16, 2013Visit us in the Eco-Village at this summer’s Dave Matthews Band concerts.
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.
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.
April 24, 2013
Dear Senator:
Monday, May 20, 2013Gov. Sean Parnell’s plan to ask the Alaska Legislature for $50 million to look for oil and gas in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge is incompatible with the reasons the refuge was established, and would cause significant harm to a vital and irreplaceable American landscape.
Friday, May 17, 2013A draft Resource Management Plan (RMP) for the Dominguez-Escalante National Conservation Area and Dominguez Canyon Wilderness near Grand Junction, CO would improve land management efforts and provide a sustainable path for the area over the next 20 years.
Thursday, May 16, 2013The Wilderness Society today applauded the U.S. Senate for passing the Rio Grande del Norte National Conservation Area Establishment Act out of the Energy and Natural Resources Committee.
The Rio Grande del Norte National Conservation Area Establishment Act (S. 241) – sponsored by Tom Udall (D-NM) and co-sponsored by Sen. Martin Heinrich (D-NM) – would protect as wilderness roughly 13,500 acres of the Cerro del Yuta and 8,000 acres of the Rio San Antonio areas.