Usually, a couple of big cruise ships would be dwarfing charter boats in Bartlett Cove on a summer day. But not today. Cruise ships aren’t scheduled to return until late July. Most visitors to Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve in Gustavus visit by cruise ship. Last year, none of those tourists came. That erased more than half of the park’s operating budget since cruise visitors provide nearly 70% of the park’s revenue. After a year without them, Park Director Philip Hooge says there are

It’s pretty well established that Alaska has more rivers and streams than any other state in the United States — which is hardly surprising, since it’s the largest state. Exactly how many of those rivers and streams host anadromous fish, though, is still a mystery . Anadromous fish are those that spend part of their life at sea and part in freshwater, like salmon. Trout Unlimited and the Kenai Watershed Forum are trying to solve a little more of that mystery this summer. They’re looking for

While the Kenai Peninsula is relatively lucky that the ecosystems here are fairly intact, there are still a handful of invasive species making their way into the streams, fields and gardens here . In recent years, that’s accelerated due to climate change and people intentionally or unintentionally bringing in new species. For about the last 15 years, the Kenai Peninsula Cooperative Invasive Species Management Area has primarily focused on plants. In fact, that was previously in its name — it was

Since 2019, 11,402 people have had their birth dates and driver’s license numbers published accidentally, due to a glitch in the Anchorage Police Department records system , the department announced Wednesday. APD said an employee discovered the issue with traffic collision report records in February. Normally, a computer automatically redacts that personal information in records before they are published online. Captain Sean Case said the department identified a simple reason why the records

Sea ice in the Arctic serves as a habitat for polar bears and their prey, ice seals. The ice doesn’t follow international boundaries, and monitoring the migration of these species requires access to both American and Russian waters . A collaboration between scientists from both countries is providing a clearer picture of the species, which remain subsistence staples to Arctic communities. Irina Trukhanova is a wildlife biologist with North Pacific Wildlife Consulting. The group contracts with

The leadership of Sealaska, the Native corporation for Southeast Alaska, is asking its shareholders to approve the creation of a type of tax shelter called a trust . Sealaska says it wants to take advantage of the 2017 tax overhaul passed by Congress that allows corporations to offer tax-free payments to shareholders . “Sealaska’s philosophy around investments has always been one based on our Native values,” Sealaska’s chief executive Anthony Mallott says during a two-minute video produced by

A bill protecting the graves of Unangax̂ people forced to live in internment camps in Funter Bay passed the Alaska Legislature on May 17 and now awaits Gov. Dunleavy’s signature. When the Japanese military invaded the Aleutians during World War II, the U.S. government forced Unangax̂ people to live in two internment camps in Southeast Alaska. They were held there for two years and were not provided with basic necessities like clean water. About 10% of people died at the Funter Bay internment

A state historical commission took up the task of naming -- and renaming -- some landmarks in Alaska. Back in April 5 2021, the Matanuska-Susitna Borough Planning Commission passed a resolution to officially recognize a long-used name for a lake located about 16 miles northwest of Talkeetna. The commission recommended calling the previously unnamed lake Daltełi – or Upper Cook Inlet dialect Dena’ina for berry buds, according to the Dena’ina Noun Dictionary. That name was forwarded along to an

For years, a small American flag was all that marked the grave of George Fox. Now, his resting place will finally be recognized. Every year, Unangax̂ Elder Gertrude Svarny visits the Russian Orthodox cemetery in Unalaska and puts a tiny U.S. flag on an unmarked grave. The grave is for her childhood friend, George Fox (Unangax̂ ), who died during World War II. “It is very powerful that Gertrude Svarny remembered him and has taken the time to honor his memory every Memorial Day to go up to his

On Tuesday, May 25, 2021, a state commission that oversees historical place names and registries will consider nominations for the National Register for Historic Places. Alaska’s longest-running fish plant facility – the Diamond NN Cannery -- is among the nominations for the Alaska Historical Commission to consider passing on to the National Register of Historic Places . The South Naknek cannery operated almost continuously from 1895 to 2015. The Alaska Historical Commission is a nine-member