ANCHORAGE, Alaska, May 22 -- The U.S. Attorney for the District of Alaska, Bryan D. Schroder, and U.S. Marshal Rob Heun issued the following statements in support of the Alaska Department of Public Safety's initiative to enhance 911 services in rural Alaska: "The primary duty of Alaska's law enforcement community is to protect all of us in the Great Land," said U.S. Attorney Schroder. "In most urban areas of Alaska, if a 911 call is dropped, dispatchers will still have the caller's location and  more

WASHINGTON, May 15 -- The U.S. Census Bureau issued the following statement: The U.S Census Bureau is committed to a complete and accurate count of American Indian and Alaska Native (AIAN) population, wherever they live. The AIAN population is diverse and geographically dispersed across the country. While most do not live on designated tribal lands or reservations, those who do are among groups historically undercounted in the census. For years, the Census Bureau has been working closely with t  more

WASHINGTON, May 22 -- The U.S. Department of Energy's Federal Energy Regulatory Commission issued the following news release on May 21: The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission today authorized the Alaska Gasline Development Corporation (AGDC) to liquefy and export liquefied natural gas (LNG) produced in the North Slope of the State of Alaska. The Commission granted a Section 3 Natural Gas Act authorization, with conditions, to the AGDC - an independent, public corporation of the State of Alas  more

WASHINGTON, May 23 -- The U.S. Department of Energy's Federal Energy Regulatory Commission issued the following statement on May 21 by Commissioner Richard Glick on a decision (Docket No. CP17-178-000) involving Alaska Gasline Development: I dissent from the order because it violates both the Natural Gas Act/1 (NGA) and the National Environmental Policy Act/2 (NEPA). Rather than wrestling with the Alaska LNG Project's/3 significant adverse impacts, today's order makes clear that the Commission   more

WASHINGTON, May 20 -- The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Indian Health Service's Director Michael D. Weahkee issued the following letter: Dear Tribal Leader and Urban Indian Organization Leader: On behalf of the Indian Health Service (IHS), I am announcing the distribution decisions for $750 million in new resources appropriated to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to support testing and testing related activities in American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) comm  more

ANCHORAGE, Alaska, May 21 -- The U.S. Department of the Interior's National Park Service issued the following news release on May 20: Today, the National Park Service (NPS) announced a final rule that amends its regulations for hunting and trapping in Alaska national preserves, removing prohibitions adopted in 2015 on harvest practices, which are otherwise permitted by the state of Alaska and federal law. This rule provides for Alaska residents who rely on state law to engage in their tradition  more

WASHINGTON, May 22 -- The U.S. Department of the Interior's Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve issued the following news release: Copper Center, AK. Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve is adapting park operations by opening the following trails within the Kennecott Mines National Historic Landmark (KNHL) beginning Friday May 22, 2020: * Use of the Erie Mine Trail; * Use of the Root Glacier Trail; * Use of the Bonanza Mine Trail; and * Use of the Jumbo Mine Trail within   more

SILVER SPRING, Maryland, May 23 -- The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration issued the following story: Good-paying jobs. Food safety and economic security. It's what Alaskan's have come to expect from their multi-billion dollar fishing industry. Alaska fisheries are renowned for being among the best-managed sustainable fisheries in the world. Could Alaska also become known for its environmentally sustainable mariculture products? The Alaska Mariculture Task Force has established   more

SILVER SPRING, Maryland, May 22 -- The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration issued the following story: A multiyear archival tagging study identified consistent seasonal and daily patterns of depth-specific behavior by Greenland turbot in Alaska. These new findings provide key information for sustainably managing this commercially valuable population in a changing environment. Migration and Management of Greenland Turbot Although Greenland turbot have been well studied in the Atlan  more

SILVER SPRING, Maryland, May 21 -- The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration issued the following news: The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announced it has selected the University of Washington to host NOAA's Cooperative Institute for Climate, Ocean, and Ecosystem Studies (CICOES). The purpose of the cooperative institute is to facilitate and conduct collaborative, multidisciplinary research to support NOAA's mission, educate and prepare the next generation of scien  more

WASHINGTON, May 22 -- The U.S. Department of Justice's Office of the Attorney General issued the following news release: The Presidential Task Force on Missing and Murdered American Indians and Alaska Natives announced four listening sessions to be conducted by teleconference in May and June. In response to the COVID-19 health emergency, previously scheduled in-person sessions have been postponed and will be rescheduled as soon as it is safe to do so. American Indians and Alaska Natives experi  more

JOINT BASE PEARL HARBOR-HICKAM, Hawaii, May 23 -- The U.S. Pacific Air Forces issued the following news: In continued demonstration of the U.S. Air Force's dynamic force employment model, two U.S. Air Force B-1B Lancers flew from Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, and conducted training in Alaska and Japan May 21. In Alaska, the B-1s were joined by F-22s and F-16s out of the 3rd Wing at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, to conduct a large force employment exercise in the Joint Pacific Alaska Range   more