A new report from the Center for American Progress highlights a pending decision by Interior Secretary Deb Haaland that could protect a significant area of public lands in Alaska. Known as “D-1 lands,” this region is crucial for Alaska Native subsistence and for species affected by climate change and habitat loss.
The 28-million-acre area, approximately 37 times the size of Yosemite National Park, would represent one of the Biden administration’s major achievements in conservation and Indigenous rights, according to the report. More than half of the federally recognized Tribes in Alaska have urged the Biden administration to maintain protections for these lands, which were targeted for reduced protection by the Trump administration in January 2021.
These public lands include about 6,700 miles of rivers and streams that support fish migrating from the ocean, including five varieties of Pacific salmon. Nearly 15 million acres under review also fall within the range of the Western Arctic caribou herd, one of the largest caribou herds globally.
“This issue has flown below the radar, but it could be one of the most important conservation and Indigenous rights decisions of the decade,” said Drew McConville, senior fellow at CAP and co-author of the report. “The Biden administration has a chance to protect millions of acres of at-risk lands and honor calls from Alaska Native Tribes, whose homelands and food security are threatened by orders signed during the Trump administration,” McConville added. “These lands and waterways sustain subsistence traditions that have survived for thousands of years, and they offer a vital buffer against climate impacts taking a toll today on Alaska’s communities, wildlife, and harvests.”
About 80 percent of Alaska Native villages (183 total) and more than half a million people live within 50 miles of Bureau of Land Management lands under evaluation. Most are designated by the federal government as areas where rural community residents have priority to hunt and fish for subsistence.
The report highlights three different regions and three Alaska Native villages to illustrate what’s at stake:
In southwestern Alaska, home to Igiugig village, Bristol Bay watershed hosts the world’s largest sockeye salmon run.
The intact Yukon River watershed in western interior Alaska provides quality habitat for multiple species—including significant salmon runs—and contains ancestral lands of Holy Cross Tribe.
Above the Arctic Circle along Chukchi Sea coastlines, Northwest Arctic supports one of world’s largest caribou herds critical to Buckland village's subsistence practices.
CAP released a video featuring Igiugig Tribal citizen Tess Hostetter who traveled to Washington D.C., advocating for conservation efforts related to D-1 public lands.
Read "A Below-the-Radar Public Lands Decision With Big Implications for Alaska Native Communities" by Drew McConville and Alia Hidayat.
Watch "A Day in Life Conservation Advocate Tess Hostetter."
For more information or expert contact: Sam Hananel at [email protected].
