Last year, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) prematurely scrapped an offshore management plan that protected Alaskan coastal waters from oil and gas leasing. Now, the agency is planning multiple leases for Lower Cook Inlet in their new 5-year plan. It’s vital that we continue to speak up for our coastal ecosystems, sustainable...
Offshore drilling is political theatre, not an energy solution
As the Cook Inlet gas we've historically relied on for heat and electricity becomes more expensive and precarious, the Trump administration is offering a golden chance to prolong our dependence, spend more on energy, and create a long-term drag on our economy by doubling down on what isn't working. What's the price of this opportunity? Only a...
11th OCS 5 Year Plan Talking Points & Comment Guidance
Front and center talking points: With new offshore oil and gas development, it’s only a question of when accidents and spills will occur. It doesn’t have to be on the scale of the Exxon Valdez disaster to be a catastrophe for Cook Inlet. A recent estimate from Lease Sale 258 estimated a 1 in 5 chance of at least one major oil spill. Salmon...
Where Hilcorp drills, they spill
Hilcorp’s environmental and regulatory violations across Alaska have proven to be more reliable than snow in December. At the end of November, the Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission (AOGCC) issued its most recent penalty against the privately owned corporation. For nearly two years of infractions at a pair of North Slope oil wells, the...
A new federal offshore plan proposes five new lease sales in Lower Cook Inlet
What’s happening now, and why it’s different Cook Inlet | Tikahtnu is facing a series of new threats from the oil and gas industry. Developing offshore oil platforms creates the risk of pollution and spills that could have huge consequences for our fisheries, endangered species, and for local tourism. Earlier this year, the Bureau of Ocean...
From Poetry to Policy: Storytelling for Environmental Advocacy
By Ella Hubbard As a little kid I told stories, drew worlds. Poetry notebook in hand, I would sit under the cherry tree in the backyard near the garden, and write down words that almost went together, form figures that were almost proportional. Through trial and error, I learned to form ideas into stories. Art taught me how to pay attention. I...
Sunsetting the Alaska Food Hub Program
Sunsetting the Alaska Food Hub After nine incredible seasons of connecting you with fresh, local food, and supporting our vibrant community of farmers and producers, we’ve made the difficult decision to sunset the Alaska Food Hub program. Inletkeeper initiated the concept of the Food Hub in early 2015. Through funding from the Local Foods...
A Taste of Togetherness: The Power of Community in Local Food Systems
A Taste of Togetherness: The Power of Community in Local Food Systems “This partnership has impacted our village and community program positively. I did not know some of the vegetables…the Elders had stories of how they would prepare [them]. It was very exciting to get fresh vegetables and get help with preparation tips for the [ones] I...
From the Deepest Night, a Spark of Light: Celebrating a Decade of Impact on the Central Peninsula
From the Deepest Night, a Spark of Light: Celebrating a Decade of Impact on the Central Peninsula — Kaitlin Vadla In Alaska, the winter solstice is a powerful reminder of the cyclical nature of life. We stand at the edge of the longest night, embraced by a profound darkness that seems to hold the world in quiet anticipation. We are about to cross...
Tracking Thermal Stress in Salmon Streams
Our paper: "Summer temperature regimes in southcentral Alaska streams: watershed drivers of variation and potential implications for Pacific salmon" has just come out in the Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences. We posed some specific questions: Which streams run hot? Which streams run cold? And does that change year to year? We...










