Federal agency managing 72 million acres of public land in Alaska — more than any other state. Oversees oil and gas leasing, mining claims, backcountry recreation, and wild horse herds.
Anchorage, AK, USA
High water on Gulkana River forces raft party onto trail, triggers medical rescue
A party of eight abandoned their Gulkana River float on July 3 after high water made the river unrunnable. One member, Ben Degraw, 49, suffered chest pains on the Haggard Creek Trail overland exit and required a multi-agency rescue after Lifemed could not land.
by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min readAI
A new logjam on the Beaver Creek float wants your boat. Here's how to dodge it.
A new channel that opened in 2025 just upstream of the Borealis-LeFevre Cabin on Beaver Creek Wild and Scenic River is filled with logs and debris, and BLM warns the strong current may pull watercraft into it, a serious risk for anyone launching the remote 100-mile float over the holiday weekend.
by Bill AlaskaNews2mo ago2 min readAI
Alaska plans to burn the Alphabet Hills to grow more moose forage
State and federal agencies announced a prescribed fire in the Alphabet Hills north of Lake Louise, targeting mature black spruce stands to grow willow, birch, and aspen browse for moose and restore caribou migration and foraging habitat. Ignition is planned for mid to late July 2026.
by Maggie AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min readAI
Alaska opens 10 wildfire investigations in 24 hours
Nine wildfires entered investigation status across Alaska between Friday and Saturday, with a tenth discovered days earlier on June 22. Ignitions stretch from the lower Kuskokwim to the central Brooks Range foothills; acreage and containment data are not yet available from DNR or AICC.
by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min readAI
A federal rule could stick Alaskans with abandoned-well cleanup costs
The BLM proposed cutting minimum oil and gas cleanup bonds on federal leases, reversing a 2024 increase. Watchdogs warn the rollback could leave taxpayers with cleanup costs.
by Maggie AlaskaNewsadded 2mo ago2 min readAI
Jade Fire ignites near Kopshesut origin point, threatens Ambler landfill
A new 67-acre wildfire ignited Tuesday near the same location where the June 4 Kopshesut Fire originated west of Ambler, raising dual smoke hazards if it reaches the village landfill; a tribal fire crew arrived Thursday as rain holds off until Sunday.
by Maggie AlaskaNewsadded 2mo ago2 min readAI
Interior's First Big Smoke Event Drifts Toward Fairbanks
Smoke from the Starry Fire near Anderson has brought the Interior's first major wildfire smoke of 2026 and is drifting toward Fairbanks; here's how to protect your health.
by Walter AlaskaNews3mo ago1 min readAI
Rain gives Canyon Fire crews window to protect Native allotments
The Canyon Fire near Rampart is at 409 acres — Chena Hotshots and smokejumpers are pre-positioning at allotments 1.5 miles south and 3 miles northeast
by Maggie AlaskaNews3mo ago2 min readAI
Smokejumpers attack 75-acre lightning fire northeast of Fairbanks
Alaska Smokejumpers deployed Saturday morning to a lightning-caused wildfire burning 75 acres in tundra and black spruce 66 miles northeast of Fairbanks, marking an active start to the Interior fire season.
by Maggie AlaskaNews3mo ago1 min readAI
Smokejumpers deploy to Star Fire near Eagle on Taylor Highway
Smokejumpers responded Thursday to a small wildfire burning 5-8 acres about 400 yards west of the Taylor Highway near Mile 149, roughly 11 miles south of Eagle, marking an active fire response amid a broader cluster of investigations across the Interior.
by Alaska Newsadded 3mo ago1 min readAI
BLM closes Nome Creek road, trail for construction through August
Two Bureau of Land Management construction projects will close different parts of the Nome Creek area from June through August, limiting access during peak summer season in one of Interior Alaska's most accessible trail systems.
by Maggie AlaskaNews3mo ago1 min readAI
The navigability question that's been simmering since Alaska statehood just got four more answers
Four federal navigability decisions resolve ownership questions affecting state land managers, Native corporations, and federal agencies managing conservation units. The rulings clarify who manages riverbeds and what permits are required for infrastructure projects.
by Alaska News3mo ago2 min readAI
ANWR lease sale draws $3.74m in winning bids from AIDEA, Hex Energy
The Bureau of Land Management's Arctic Refuge lease sale drew $3.7 million in winning bids Friday from two bidders on five tracts. The result marks a shift from last year's zero-bid sale but falls short of broad industry interest.
by Walter AlaskaNews3mo ago3 min readAI
Trump order on off-road vehicle rules could reshape Alaska federal-land access fights
President Trump rescinded two executive orders governing off-road vehicle use on federal lands, directing agencies to rewrite access rules that could affect Alaska development, recreation, and subsistence use across the 60% of the state under federal ownership.
by Walter AlaskaNews3mo ago2 min readAI
AIDEA approves $190 million for ANWR seismic surveys and lease evaluation
AIDEA Board just approved $190 million for ANWR seismic work and potential new lease bids in June 2026, banking on incoming Trump administration to reverse Biden-era restrictions that made previous leases economically unviable. This represents one of Alaska's largest-ever investments in Arctic oil development.
by Walter AlaskaNews3mo ago2 min readAI
ANWR lease sale will test whether Alaska oil appetite reaches the Arctic Refuge
BLM opens bids June 5 on an ANWR Coastal Plain lease sale. After a canceled 2021 auction and a 2025 bust, industry interest is finally being tested again.
by Cale Green3mo ago4 min read
BLM Alaska to repatriate Native remains and cultural items under three federal notices
BLM Alaska published three Federal Register notices announcing the repatriation of Native American human remains and cultural items to affiliated tribes, with returns permitted on or after June 29, 2026.
by Maggie AlaskaNews3mo ago1 min readAI
Aspect Holdings addresses $100B Alaska projection, contested Teshekpuk lease
Aspect Holdings won eight lease blocks covering 110,000 acres in the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska and projects $100 billion in present-value revenue wealth to the state from North Slope development.
by Walter AlaskaNews4mo ago2 min readAI
Interior transfers 1.4 million acres in Dalton corridor to Alaska
The Department of the Interior says the conveyance moves Alaska past 96% of its statehood land entitlement. State officials are taking public comment through June 26 on access across the corridor.
by Walter AlaskaNews4mo ago2 min readAlaska mines release toxic metals into rivers, state data shows
Alaska mines lead the nation in toxic releases, with both active operations and abandoned sites contaminating rivers and affecting communities that depend on clean water for subsistence.
by Alaska News5mo ago3 min readAI