Trump Administration Facing Hurdles Opening Alaska and other Areas to Oil and Gas

The Proposed Pebble Mine project 
is one of the extraction industry 
efforts drawing the ire of outdoorsmen, 
conservationists, and the environmental 
community.

Trump and his myriad supporters in the extraction industries, including Oil and Gas, are facing a stiff headwind in the U.S. Courts, as this Washington Post article lays out.  As a former Alaskan who often felt the people from the Lower 48 interfered too much with Alaska environmental affairs, I get some of the frustration some Alaskans feel.

However, as we in the U.S. are prone to doing, we may have swung the pendulum way too far towards easing regulations and restrictions on these extraction industries.  If you enjoy the outdoors and want your kids to be able to enjoy what you get to experience, we may want to ease up a little...

A number of recent legal defeats and business decisions have stymied three multibillion-dollar pipeline projects around the country, setting back President Trump’s 3½-year effort to expand oil and gas development in the United States.

The reversals demonstrate both the enduring power of environmental laws that the Trump administration has been trying to weaken and the tenacity of environmental, tribal and community activists who have battled the projects on forested land and in federal courtrooms.

In a surprise decision Monday, a federal judge ruled that the Dakota Access pipeline — which Trump approved within a month of taking office — must be shut down by Aug. 5, saying federal officials failed to carry out a complete analysis of its environmental impacts. The day before, two energy companies behind the controversial, 600-mile Atlantic Coast Pipeline abandoned their six-year bid to build it, saying the $8 billion project has become too expensive and faces an uncertain regulatory environment. And an April decision by a federal judge in Montana dealt a blow to the Keystone XL pipeline and raised questions about whether the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will have to conduct more extensive environmental reviews for other projects.

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The 10 Most Stunning Hikes In Alaska

As a fourth-generation Alaskan, I often hear how spoiled I am to have grown up in the wild beauty of the 49th state. Spoiled, perhaps, but not rotten. I'm ever-captivated by the secrets she reveals, even over paths I’ve walked a thousand times before. Alaska is truly The Last Frontier, the ultimate bucket-list adventure of a lifetime. In the largest state in the nation, plan to go big before you go home.

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Bears, Birds, Walrus and More Alaska Outdoors – What You Can Do in 2020

Alaska’s wildlife viewing and outdoor opportunities are open this summer, with modifications to accommodate for Covid-19 concerns. Some opportunities are close to urban areas, easily accessible and popular with Alaskans. Others are more remote and offer opportunities to watch wild animals such as bears and walrus, without fences or crowds. Alaskans appreciate these areas, but they are often destinations for visitors seeking a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

The Alaska Department of Fish and Game manages (and cooperatively manages) areas highlighted here; The National Park Service, the U.S. Forest Service and other public land managers are resources for information on the lands they manage.

Joe Meehan oversees the McNeil River bear viewing area and Round Island, where walrus gather, and he said both areas will be open for visitors this summer.

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