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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

Protect our largest public land: the Western Arctic
It's a mouthful but the BLM just released a new draft for the Western Arctic: National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska (NPR-A) Integrated Activity Plan/Environmental Impact Statement (IAP/EIS).

Time and time again: Protect Izembek Wilderness!
One of the world's most critically-important resting places for migrating birds is found in the cold-water lagoons and internationally significant wetlands of Izembek National Wildlife Refuge on the Alaskan Peninsula.

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Calendar

3: Hike at the Izembek Public Hearing

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News

Alaska power plant under scrutiny for coal ash
Juneau Empire 12, 2012
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS FAIRBANKS — Already under watch by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Fairbanks is coming under scrutiny by the environmental agency again after a resident complained of black dust near a power plant downtown. The EPA received a petition by the resident last May, investigated in September and found enough questions to warrant an investigation, the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner reported. Other residents have complained about the issue to the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation. “The nature of the work ahead is looking at potential problems and trying to understand if they’re real problems,” said Dan Opalski, the director of environmental cleanup in the EPA’s Seattle office. The city of Fairbanks is under watch by the EPA for high levels of particulate matter. Opalski said the agency hasn’t reached any conclusions about the origin of the dust or any possible health risk it might pose. The dust is close to the Aurora Energy plant, but other power plants in the area will also be watched. “I think it’s fair to say in that environment there could be a number of things going on,” he said. Aurora Energy President Buki Wright said the company plans to cooperate fully with the EPA during the process. “We’re in compliance with everything we need to be in compliance with,” Wright said. “We believe we’re operating conscientiously and are conscientious neighbors.” Opalski said the next step in the process will be gathering more data through the collection and analysis of samples and a more thorough evaluation of the site. That process is expected to take place this summer, but Opalski said a specific plan for its study hasn’t been developed. He also said residents in the area shouldn’t be alarmed at the prospect of an EPA investigation, since it’s too early to know if there’s a valid cause for concern.

Fairbanks - Aurora Power Plant
KUAC 6, 2012
The Environmental Protection Agency is investigating a coal-fired power plant in downtown Fairbanks to determine whether it's the source of a messy and possibly hazardous dust that blankets the area. The investigation could lead the area being designated a federal Superfund cleanup site.

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