The Trump administration is transferring the land to the state, which will make it easier for Alaska to greenlight projects that may damage the environment.
The Trump administration is transferring 1.4 million acres of federal Alaskan land along the Dalton Highway to the state, stripping the land of federal protections. A lawsuit to restore the federal protections was partially dismissed, but environmental groups appealed on Aug. 11, fearing that without federal oversight the state would permit projects that may destabilize local ecosystems.
Largely unbroken land surrounds the highway corridor on the east and the west, which Alaska is looking to develop. Sarah Gilman reports for High Country News:
By consolidating the corridor’s ownership in state hands, the transfer may simplify construction of a proposed 800-mile natural gas pipeline that would parallel the Dalton … If built, the pipeline would increase Arctic drilling and related development, possibly within the Porcupine caribou herd’s embattled calving grounds.
The land transfer will also allow all Alaskans to snowmobile along the Dalton, previously only permitted for locals hunting or collecting firewood, which will increase pressure on the land and nearby wildlife, High Country News reports.
Read the full story: In Arctic Alaska, 1.4 million acres of federal land is shifting to state hands
Pipeline Politics Ruffle NATO Summit
At the NATO Summit in Brussels last Wednesday, President Trump charged that Germany was captive to Russia because of its dependence on Russian natural gas, and a new, controversial pipeline from Russia to Germany will exacerbate its dependency.
Oregon Voters Support LNG Export Facility
A proposed $7.5 billion facility to export liquefied natural gas (LNG) from Oregon's south coast received a resounding vote of support on Tuesday from Coos County voters who rejected a ballot measure that would have banned its construction.
Trump asks Supreme Court to allow border wall through Texas national park
Judge Kathleen Cardone previously blocked the Big Bend border wall project, and Texas’ Land Commissioner has spoken out against it as well.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
Data reveals that NYC’s bet on congestion pricing has paid off
After almost two years of the program, reports show positive impacts on traffic and air quality and no disruptions to parking.
Denver is solving homelessness. Why aren't the rest of us?
Since 2023, Denver's street homeless population has decreased by 64%, proving that effective tools exist to support those in need of housing.
Michigan needs billions to save its water infrastructure. The state won't fund it
Michigan needs to invest $2.8 billion per year over the next 20 years to fix its water infrastructure. The FY 2027 budget allocates only $27.9 million.
Trump asks Supreme Court to allow border wall through Texas national park
Judge Kathleen Cardone previously blocked the Big Bend border wall project, and Texas’ Land Commissioner has spoken out against it as well.
This MA town is drowning in its own sewage — and residents like it that way
Susan Murcott, a waste water expert, said if Carlisle didn't address their leaking sewage, the problem could turn “deadly.”
FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?
After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.
Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold
The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.
City of Rosemead
Rutgers University, Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy
One Hundred Miles
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
Montrose County
Northern Illinois Transit Authority (NITA)
The Pocatello Development Authority