Just because it's still sinking in for me... a LOT has shifted for Alaska under the Trump admin in the past few weeks. Here's a running list:
Over the weekend, we learned @Interior has reached deal with King Cove to build a road through the Izembek National Wildlife Refuge. Here's @zsobel13's story: ktoo.org/2018/01/07/int…
On Friday, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers released the permit application for the Pebble Mine -- a mine that the Obama admin pretty much halted, but after a settlement with Trump admin @EPA, is moving fw again. Here's my story on that: alaskapublic.org/2018/01/05/wit…
Then last Thursday, the Trump admin proposed re-opening much of Arctic federal waters to oil development. My story on that: alaskapublic.org/2018/01/04/tru…
Here's @waldholz's excellent follow on that story -- Beyond the Arctic, the Trump admin has proposed opening up areas that haven't seen development for decades, if at all: alaskapublic.org/2018/01/07/its…
Then there's the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska -- over Christmas, the Trump admin released a new assessment of the area's oil potential. Here's @lruskin on that: alaskapublic.org/2017/12/22/new…
Much of the area with the most potential in NPR-A is currently off limits, because the Obama admin thought it was too biologically sensitive. The Trump admin is looking to tweak that, too - here's my story on that: wbur.org/hereandnow/201…
And here's confirmation that the oil industry is asking for the Trump admin to open up more land in NPR-A to oil development - my story on @COP_Alaska's ask: alaskapublic.org/2017/12/15/con…
And, oh yeah, Congress opened up the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge's 1002 area for oil development just before the holidays, too - via @lruskin alaskapublic.org/2017/12/20/anw…
And here's @lruskin on how the decades-long fight over drilling in ANWR went out with a whimper, not a bang: alaskapublic.org/2017/12/19/lon…
I'm sure I'm forgetting something .. and that's just the energy/environment landscape! Important to note a lot of these things are still in the proposal stage. Still, a seismic shift from the last admin.
