Search Results for: climate

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Clarise Larson / Juneau Empire A crowd of visitors tours the Mendenhall Glacier on Friday. Officials announced Friday limits on commercial tours are being imposed as capacity limits are being rapidly reached, which will impact the second half of the summer tourism season. A plan by the U.S. Forest Service to overhaul the facilities of the Mendenhall Glacier Recreation Area is now in the final stages, which would replace the existing capacity limits with newly defined management practices.

Objectors ask for more environmental protections as Mendenhall Glacier plan nears finish

Final OK of multiyear process may occur this fall, replace existing capacity limits with new policy

Clarise Larson / Juneau Empire A crowd of visitors tours the Mendenhall Glacier on Friday. Officials announced Friday limits on commercial tours are being imposed as capacity limits are being rapidly reached, which will impact the second half of the summer tourism season. A plan by the U.S. Forest Service to overhaul the facilities of the Mendenhall Glacier Recreation Area is now in the final stages, which would replace the existing capacity limits with newly defined management practices.
Fireweed rock glacier flows within the massif near McCarthy in 2023. (Photo by Ned Rozell)

Alaska Science Forum: Glaciers made of rock, ice and bear scat

The grizzly hadn’t seen my dog or me, so I yelled and waved my arms. The bear stood, looked in our direction for three unforgettable… Continue reading

Fireweed rock glacier flows within the massif near McCarthy in 2023. (Photo by Ned Rozell)
Pine needles on a tree in the Mendenhall Valley show aftermath of western blackheaded budworms damage Thursday. U.S. Forest officials said an outbreak that started a few ago in Southeast Alaska is declining in most places, but Juneau still has a high infestation rate that is expected to drop off next year. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)

It’s not easy being evergreen in Juneau, as infestation of budworms lingers

Outbreak in Southeast Alaska since 2020 mostly tapering off elsewhere, officials say.

Pine needles on a tree in the Mendenhall Valley show aftermath of western blackheaded budworms damage Thursday. U.S. Forest officials said an outbreak that started a few ago in Southeast Alaska is declining in most places, but Juneau still has a high infestation rate that is expected to drop off next year. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)
Dimitri Kusnezov, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s undersecretary for science and technology, stands by Lake Spenard on Tuesday. Kusnezov was on his first Alaska trip, with stops from Juneau to Utqiagvik. (Photo by Yereth Rosen/Alaska Beacon)

As climate change transforms the Arctic, Homeland Security must adapt, official says

Department undersecretary visits Coast Guard in Juneau, other parts of Alaska this week

Dimitri Kusnezov, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s undersecretary for science and technology, stands by Lake Spenard on Tuesday. Kusnezov was on his first Alaska trip, with stops from Juneau to Utqiagvik. (Photo by Yereth Rosen/Alaska Beacon)
Loons swim near a pipeline and other oil field infrastructure at the Greater Prudhoe Bay Unit on Alaska’s North Slope in this undated photo. A new study finds that nest survival is lower for birds closer to high-use infrastructure. (Photo by Kayla Scheimreif/Wildlife Conservation Society)

Study: The closer that birds’ nests are to Prudhoe oil infrastructure, the lower the survival rates

A long-term study of birds that summer around the Prudhoe Bay oil complex found that nest survival for all bird types decreased significantly the closer… Continue reading

Loons swim near a pipeline and other oil field infrastructure at the Greater Prudhoe Bay Unit on Alaska’s North Slope in this undated photo. A new study finds that nest survival is lower for birds closer to high-use infrastructure. (Photo by Kayla Scheimreif/Wildlife Conservation Society)
Scientists Jake Shaffer and Jared Clance collect samples on the Juneau Icefield earlier this month as part of a collaborative project between NASA and the Juneau Icefield Research Program. Participants hope the data and techniques will aid an upcoming mission to study the Jupiter ice moon Europa. (Photo courtesy of Jacob Holmes)
Capital City Weekly

Juneau Icefield may be key to unlocking secrets of Jupiter ice moon

Researchers probe far beneath ice for clues to aid their search for extraterrestrial life

Scientists Jake Shaffer and Jared Clance collect samples on the Juneau Icefield earlier this month as part of a collaborative project between NASA and the Juneau Icefield Research Program. Participants hope the data and techniques will aid an upcoming mission to study the Jupiter ice moon Europa. (Photo courtesy of Jacob Holmes)
Petty Officer 3rd Class Brandon Dawson, a Coast Guard Marine Safety Task Force member from Coast Guard Sector Anchorage, chats with a representative at a fuel facility in St. Michael, Alaska, during an inspection July 28, 2022. Teams comprised of six Coast Guard marine inspectors visited a total of 15 communities and inspected approximately 55 bulk fuel storage facilities in the Bering Strait Region July 25-Aug. 2, 2022. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 1st Class Nate Littlejohn)

Alaska environmental department plans to repeal regulation of some fuel-storage tanks

Thousands of aboveground tanks that store diesel fuel and other petroleum products would no longer be regulated by the state, under a proposal from the… Continue reading

Petty Officer 3rd Class Brandon Dawson, a Coast Guard Marine Safety Task Force member from Coast Guard Sector Anchorage, chats with a representative at a fuel facility in St. Michael, Alaska, during an inspection July 28, 2022. Teams comprised of six Coast Guard marine inspectors visited a total of 15 communities and inspected approximately 55 bulk fuel storage facilities in the Bering Strait Region July 25-Aug. 2, 2022. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 1st Class Nate Littlejohn)
Afternoon traffic is seen in downtown Fairbanks on March 1. Significant air-quality improvements have been achieved since 2010, according to data from the Environmental Protection Agency. (Photo by Yereth Rosen/Alaska Beacon)

Alaska and 9 other states threaten to sue EPA over wood-burning stove standards

State says EPA should focus on wood-stove certifications; agency also wants policy for power plants

Afternoon traffic is seen in downtown Fairbanks on March 1. Significant air-quality improvements have been achieved since 2010, according to data from the Environmental Protection Agency. (Photo by Yereth Rosen/Alaska Beacon)
In this June 21 photo, meteorologist David Percy films the daily “Alaska Weather” program in a makeshift studio at the National Weather Service office in Anchorage. The “Alaska Weather” program she oversees, the only weather show produced by the National Weather Service, will have its last on-air broadcast Friday after Alaska Public Media dropped distribution, forcing it to YouTube. (AP Photo/Mark Thiessen)
Capital City Weekly

How’s the weather up there? It’ll be harder for Alaska to tell as a longtime program goes off air

ANCHORAGE — Before Morris Nashoanak heads out for days in search of bearded seals, beluga whales or salmon, he catches the weather on TV. But… Continue reading

In this June 21 photo, meteorologist David Percy films the daily “Alaska Weather” program in a makeshift studio at the National Weather Service office in Anchorage. The “Alaska Weather” program she oversees, the only weather show produced by the National Weather Service, will have its last on-air broadcast Friday after Alaska Public Media dropped distribution, forcing it to YouTube. (AP Photo/Mark Thiessen)
The Alaska Permanent Fund Corp. building in Juneau, seen here Sept. 28, 2022, is where most the corporation’s estimated 70 employees work. APFC leaders are considering options to move some operations and staff to Anchorage during the next year. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire File)

My Turn: Capital creep — a way to weaken state government

I just read that the Permanent Fund Corp. has been considering a move to Anchorage since 2019. I was stunned. An essential part of the… Continue reading

The Alaska Permanent Fund Corp. building in Juneau, seen here Sept. 28, 2022, is where most the corporation’s estimated 70 employees work. APFC leaders are considering options to move some operations and staff to Anchorage during the next year. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire File)
Longtime Juneau musician Rob Cohen performs at an outdoor cabaret show during the Alaska Theater Festival in 2022. This year’s festival will begin with a series of Neighborhood Cabaret shows at various locations throughout Juneau between June 28 and July 2. (Courtesy of Theater Alaska)
Capital City Weekly

Neighborhood watch

Fourth annual Alaska Theater Festival to stage outdoor productions throughout Juneau this summer.

Longtime Juneau musician Rob Cohen performs at an outdoor cabaret show during the Alaska Theater Festival in 2022. This year’s festival will begin with a series of Neighborhood Cabaret shows at various locations throughout Juneau between June 28 and July 2. (Courtesy of Theater Alaska)
Salmon dries on a traditional rack on the beach in the Seward Peninsula village of Teller on Sept. 2, 2021. Salmon is a dietary staple for Indigenous residents of Western Alaska, and poor runs have created hardship. A new Alaska salmon task force mandated by federal law is now appointed and charged with producing a science plan within a year. (Photo by Yereth Rosen/Alaska Beacon)

Alaska salmon task force charged with developing science plan

19 members appointed by federal and state leaders to spend a year on sustainable management

Salmon dries on a traditional rack on the beach in the Seward Peninsula village of Teller on Sept. 2, 2021. Salmon is a dietary staple for Indigenous residents of Western Alaska, and poor runs have created hardship. A new Alaska salmon task force mandated by federal law is now appointed and charged with producing a science plan within a year. (Photo by Yereth Rosen/Alaska Beacon)
A Chinook salmon is seen in an undated photo. (Photo by Ryan Hagerty/USFWS)

Washington-based group wants Endangered Species Act protections for Alaska king salmon

By Nathaniel Herz, Alaska Beacon A Washington-based conservation group whose actions have already caused the closure of an iconic Southeast Alaska fishery is now planning… Continue reading

A Chinook salmon is seen in an undated photo. (Photo by Ryan Hagerty/USFWS)
A bald eagle is seen on Feb. 6, 2018, perched in a tree in the Kodiak National Wildlife Refuge. Bald eagles are near the top of the list of bird species in Alaska that have been killed by the currently circulating strains of highly pathogenic avian influenza. (Photo by Lisa Hupp/U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service)

Avian influenza has returned to Alaska, and so have health advisories

Migrating birds have returned to Alaska, and so has the highly pathogenic avian influenza that began to sweep through global bird populations in 2020. That… Continue reading

A bald eagle is seen on Feb. 6, 2018, perched in a tree in the Kodiak National Wildlife Refuge. Bald eagles are near the top of the list of bird species in Alaska that have been killed by the currently circulating strains of highly pathogenic avian influenza. (Photo by Lisa Hupp/U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service)
A graph shows how Southeast Alaska businesses feel about the region’s business climate in surveys conducted since 2010. Meilani Schijvens, owner and director of Rain Coast Data, said the survey she conducted this year shows the most optimistic responses in the annual survey’s history. (Rain Coast Data)

Optimism of Southeast Alaska businesses hits 14-year high

Annual survey shows 73% of businesses positive about business climate, but some sectors less hopeful

A graph shows how Southeast Alaska businesses feel about the region’s business climate in surveys conducted since 2010. Meilani Schijvens, owner and director of Rain Coast Data, said the survey she conducted this year shows the most optimistic responses in the annual survey’s history. (Rain Coast Data)
Michael Ruppert inspects percussion instrumentation that’s part of the setup for the 1928 Kimball Theatre Pipe Organ in the State Office Building. Ruppert, co-owner of Rose City Organ Builders in Oregon, spent two days this with with fellow co-owner Christopher Nordwall tuning and restoring the organ to playable condition. The instrument has not been played since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, but local officials and musicians are hoping to schedule a lunchtime concert during the next couple of weeks. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)

Clearing the old pipes in the Kimball organ at the State Office Building

Tuners revive 1928 organ that’s been idle for three years; lunchtime concerts may resume next week

Michael Ruppert inspects percussion instrumentation that’s part of the setup for the 1928 Kimball Theatre Pipe Organ in the State Office Building. Ruppert, co-owner of Rose City Organ Builders in Oregon, spent two days this with with fellow co-owner Christopher Nordwall tuning and restoring the organ to playable condition. The instrument has not been played since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, but local officials and musicians are hoping to schedule a lunchtime concert during the next couple of weeks. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)
A polar bear feeds near a pile of whale bones north of Utqiaġvik. (Courtesy Photo /Ned Rozell)

Alaska Science Forum: Polar bears of the past survived warmth

In a recent paper, scientists wrote that a small population of polar bears living off Greenland and Arctic Canada increased by 1.6 times when they… Continue reading

A polar bear feeds near a pile of whale bones north of Utqiaġvik. (Courtesy Photo /Ned Rozell)
(Peter Segall / Juneau Empire File)

Opinion: Sustainability report is a greenwashing effort

Report leaves out “the not-so-pretty.”

  • May 27, 2023
  • By Matthew Jackson
(Peter Segall / Juneau Empire File)
Mountains tower over downtown Juneau Wednesday morning. On Tuesday night the City and Borough of Juneau’s Planning Commission unanimously passed a motion to not recommend the adoption of new hazard maps and policy based on them to the Assembly. (Clarise Larson / Juneau Empire)

Planning Commission urges rejection of new hazard maps and policy

The decision came after nearly 20 rounds of public testimony advocating against the maps.

Mountains tower over downtown Juneau Wednesday morning. On Tuesday night the City and Borough of Juneau’s Planning Commission unanimously passed a motion to not recommend the adoption of new hazard maps and policy based on them to the Assembly. (Clarise Larson / Juneau Empire)
Gov. Mike Dunleavy signs legislation allowing the state to set up a carbon offset program Tuesday in Anchorage. Dunleavy signed the bill with Alaska lawmakers and administration officials standing behind him during the Alaska Sustainable Energy Conference at the Dena’ina Civic and Convention Center in downtown Anchorage. (AP Photo/Mark Thiessen)

Dunleavy signs carbon ‘trees’ bill at sustainable energy conference

National and state leaders discuss Alaska’s green market prospects in-state and internationally

Gov. Mike Dunleavy signs legislation allowing the state to set up a carbon offset program Tuesday in Anchorage. Dunleavy signed the bill with Alaska lawmakers and administration officials standing behind him during the Alaska Sustainable Energy Conference at the Dena’ina Civic and Convention Center in downtown Anchorage. (AP Photo/Mark Thiessen)