Welcome to Alaska!

Alaska's ecosystems are many: from the vibrant tundra plains of the Arctic to the productive wetlands of the Yukon-Kuskokwim delta in Western Alaska, from the vast forests and tall peaks of the interior to the ancient Tongass and mighty fjords of Southeast. Alaska is truly the Great Land.

The Alaska Chapter of the Sierra Club is working with Alaskans to ensure a future as great as the land itself. Along with our neighbors we are working to shield the Last Frontier from the frontier mentality that has drilled and logged and developed away much of the open spaces in the Lower 48. We are striving for an Alaska based on renewable energy, smart growth of our urban areas, sustainable use of our resources, and preservation of our wild places.

Alaska is a large state. The Alaska Chapter is divided into three groups, linking activists and supporters in Northern (Denali Group), Southcentral (Knik Group) and Southeast (Juneau Group) Alaska.

Find out how you can connect with other people working for a better Alaska, learn about current threats to our state, and help support the work of the Sierra Club.

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Action Alerts

Alaska's Wolves need our help
Have you visited Denali this year? You may have noticed it's harder now than ever to see wolves during your visit. Park officials have confirmed that wolf sightings are at an all time low. Many people suspect the 2010 Board of Game decision to eliminate the wolf buffer as the main reason.

Get ready for winter with Energy Efficiency

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Calendar

24: Hike to Fight for Alaska's Wildlife
For the first time, ever the Department of the Interior's Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is considering a new management plan for the Reserve that would safeguard key wildlife areas from destructive oil, gas,and coal development. Will you speak up for Alaska's wildlife before it is too late?

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News

Shell calls off plans for deep offshore drilling in Arctic this year
Anchorage Daily News 17, 2012
WASHINGTON -- Shell is giving up for the year on drilling for oil in Arctic waters off Alaska after another setback to its troubled oil spill containment barge. The company announced the decision Monday after testing of the Arctic Challenger, the oil spill containment barge the company has been unable to get ready and certified to support its Arctic Alaska exploration. Shell said that, while it will abandon its effort to drill into oil-bearing zones this year, it will drill "top holes" to get ready for next year. "During a final test, the containment dome aboard the Arctic Challenger barge was damaged. It is clear that some days will be required to repair and fully assess dome readiness," the company said in a written statement. Shell was already fast running out of time for this drilling season. The failure to launch the effort as planned this year is a blow to the company, but it pledged to finish as much preliminary work as it can in order to "lay a strong foundation for operations in 2013."

Plan to put Clear Air Force Station on electric grid prompts questions
Fairbanks Daily News-Miner 16, 2012
Clear, located about 80 miles southwest of Fairbanks off the Parks Highway, is developing plans to build a 3-mile-long high-voltage transmission line to connect to the Golden Valley Electric Association power network. If the plans proceed as Air Force officials hope, Clear could become a member of the utility co-op by 2014. The driving force behind the move is energy savings, since Clear’s power plant dates back to the days when radar technology used far more power. Air Force Real Property Agency spokesman Armando Perez stated in an email that the existing power plant produces far more than the installation uses. The power plant at Clear includes three 7.5-megawatt turbines, each of which makes more power than the station needs to operate. To ensure back-up systems are in place, Clear is forced to run two turbines at all times, Perez said. The surplus energy is wasted. Read more: Fairbanks Daily News-Miner - Plan to put Clear Air Force Station on electric grid prompts questions

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