Inletkeeper Blog
Federal Government Silences Cook Inlet Voices on Lease Sale 258
Development of Lower Cook Inlet’s federal oil and gas leases could proceed without allowing public comment—an action that may affect fisheries, tribes, and established commercial businesses…
Recycling Breakdown: Where to Take Your Recycling on the Kenai Peninsula
Since the Soldotna Public landfill’s 33-year old baler machine broke in December 2024, aluminum and cardboard dropped in the former recycling receptacles have piled up in containers or been buried along with the trash.
Clean Water Act Rollbacks
Alaska houses more than half the wetlands in the United States, making it vulnerable to the impacts of the 2023 case Sackett vs. EPA. This case changed which wetlands fall under federal jurisdiction and trigger Clean Water Act protection. Only wetlands with surface water, and that touches a “relatively permanent” water body, are now deemed worthy of protection.
Saving the Canaries of the Sea from the Johnson Tract Mine
Listed as endangered under the Endangered Species Act in 2008, Cook Inlet Belugas’ numbers have not rebounded. One of the greatest recent threats to Cook Inlet Belugas is the proposed Johnson Tract Mine.
Dunleavy’s Administrative Order 360: A Regulatory Free for All
Administrative Order 360 directs numerous Alaska state departments to include a “provision for automatic approval if deadlines are not met” in all permits. In plain language: merit, expertise, and public input are thrown out the window in favor of arbitrary deadlines — a loophole that could enable the administration to stall action on permits it wants to approve, guaranteeing passage without review.
Salmonfest Recap 2025
Inletkeeper is proud to be among the community of advocates who gather each year in Salmonfest’s “Causeway” to talk about some of Alaska’s biggest environmental issues. At the Inletkeeper booth, this year’s outreach focused on the Johnson Tract project.
HEA Drops Solar Plans
Less than a year after signing a large solar energy contract, HEA has walked away from the long-term cost reductions of solar power, and instead focused on pushing for expensive gas and higher long-term prices for its members. The result? An annual gut punch to everyone’s wallet.
The Fight Over Pebble Mine Isn’t Over: A Legal Update
This week we celebrate as the Department of Justice confirmed that the EPA will continue to defend Bristol Bay and are cautiously optimistic that the ongoing litigation will continue to support the EPA’s robust 404(c) Final Determination.
Brown Bears in the Crosshairs of the Johnson Tract Mine Project
Every summer, one of the densest concentrations of brown bears on Earth congregates along the Western shores of Cook Inlet. Over time, the bears in this region have become habituated to the presence of humans, meaning they are more likely to go about their daily lives with people nearby. A proposed gold mine threatens to upset this delicate balance.
Energy: Congress closes a window of opportunity for the Railbelt, slashes clean water regulations
The bill we got is an improvement over what we could have gotten—in the way that being beaten with a two-by-four is an improvement over being beaten with a two-by-six.