Alaska News Nightly: Thursday, March 5, 2026

Summary

Alaska News Nightly – Episode Summary

Date: Thursday, March 5, 2026
Host: Casey Grove | Produced by Alaska Public Media

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Episode Overview

This episode of Alaska News Nightly covers a broad range of statewide stories:

• The Environmental Protection Agency’s regulatory approach to “forever chemicals” and energy infrastructure
• Anchorage’s animal shelter crisis due to an animal neglect case
• New research and cultural efforts around black seaweed in Southeast Alaska
• Skijoring as a winter sport for Alaskans and their dogs
• An interview with Iditarod rookie musher Kevin Hansen
• A significant criminal case involving child exploitation

The episode maintains a balance of practical, investigative, and human-interest reporting, anchored by voices from across Alaska.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Federal Environmental Policy and Alaska’s Energy Future

[01:31 - 05:13]
Reporter: Shelby Herbert

• High-level Visit: EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin joins Governor Mike Dunleavy to tour the UAF coal plant in Fairbanks, discussing regulatory impacts on Alaska’s unique energy infrastructure.
  • “So the administrator is up here looking at things like coal plants on the base, fuel plants on the base…” — Gov. Dunleavy [02:03]
• Regulatory Rollbacks: Both officials praised limited deregulation, citing economic benefits.
  • “I gotta tell you, it’s a breath of fresh air.” — Dunleavy [02:41]
• PFAS Standards: Reporters pressed Zeldin on delayed compliance deadlines for PFAS (“forever chemicals”) in drinking water.
  • “Some water systems are struggling to be able to pay for the work in order to come into compliance…” — Zeldin [03:29]
  • The EPA says it is not abandoning safety rules, but meeting standards is financially difficult for some rural utilities.
• PFAS Remediation: Interest in new local soil cleanup technologies that could end costly soil shipments outside Alaska.
  • “It’s now becoming more economical so that Alaskans can instead remediate it.” — Zeldin [04:09]
• State Response: The state won’t “bring the hammer down” on local systems, but will hold corporations accountable for pollution.
  • Alaska Legislature is considering annual water tests and expanded liability for PFAS polluters.
  • “…any bill that sets back Alaska’s development would have a hard time getting over the line.” — Dunleavy [05:01]

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2. Anchorage Animal Shelter Overwhelmed

[05:13 - 10:14]
Reporter: Hannah Flor

• Crisis at Animal Care & Control:
  • Shelter designed for ~150 animals is now housing 240+ after a single neglect case brought in 103 bunnies, 36 birds, 2 cats, and 9 fish.
  • “You don’t know you need someone to deal with 103 bunnies until you need someone to deal with 103 bunnies.” — Becky Wint Pearson, Municipal Manager [06:48]
• Logistics & Stress:
  • Each bunny requires its own cage (due to fighting), making space and care even scarcer.
  • Staff overextended; hard to intake more animals or give adequate attention.
  • In this legal limbo, the animals can’t be named, photographed, or adopted until the case resolves.
  • “Fingers crossed for Easter, she says... but that’s not looking super likely.” — [07:43]
• Cost:
  • $3 per rabbit per day ($15,000/month). Costs may fall on the animal’s owner if convicted.
  • “But when you have 103 bunnies and a bunch of other animals, it adds up very quickly.” — Tamiya Liebersbach [08:39]
• Adoption Concerns:
  • The city already has many feral bunnies; adopting out 103 at once will be challenging.
  • “You probably could just trap one outside if you wanted a pet bunny…” — Liebersbach [09:22]
  • When adoption is permitted, staff already have a list of names prepared for the bunnies.
  • “I do have some staff members who... have long lists of names in their phones.” — Logan Robinson, Deputy Manager [09:49]
• Volunteer Call:
  • Community members are encouraged to help care for the animals during this crisis.

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3. Extradition in Child Exploitation Case

[10:58 - 13:09]
Reporter: Casey Grove

• International Prosecution:
  • Zobeidul Amin, a Bangladeshi national, appears in Anchorage federal court after extradition.
  • Accused of operating an international child sexual exploitation ring—hundreds of victims, including at least one Alaska girl.
  • Used social media to coerce and blackmail minors; charged with 13 federal counts (distribution, cyberstalking, etc.).
  • Faces 20 years to life if convicted.

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4. Black Seaweed: Cultural and Ecological Keystone

[13:09 - 17:38]
Reporter: Hope McKinney

• Cultural Baseline Study:
  • Dr. Kelly Monteleone leads NSF-funded research to document black seaweed’s cultural and ecological importance in Southeast Alaska.
  • “So really important resource, but nobody spent the time to actually document it and that’s what I was asked to do.” — Dr. Monteleone [13:31]
• Access and Change:
  • Seaweed harvest locations threatened by rising sea levels, climate change, and mariculture (aquaculture) expansion.
  • Traditional harvesters note impacts from marine “blobs” and declining abundance/quality.
  • “It’s something that has always been on our table and in our pantry, and it is one of the cornerstone foods to our lifestyle.” — Charlie Skoltka Jr. [15:29]
  • Emphasizes links to community wellbeing, food security, and subsistence.
  • “…without doing these things sustainably and being able to practice our subsistence harvesting, pretty soon, no Alaskans will be able to afford to live in Alaska.” — Skoltka [17:03]
• Next Steps:
  • More community research and a forthcoming book after 2028.

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5. Alaska Survival Kit: Skijoring with Dogs

[17:38 - 22:04]
Reporter: Clarice Larson

• Introduction to Skijoring:
  • Skijoring = skiing while being pulled by your dog.
  • “She [my dog] never stops... but over the years, I’ve discovered one way to truly, truly tire her out and also have fun... skijoring.” — Clarice Larson [17:52]
• Pro Tips:
  1. Don’t force your dog. Start only if they show interest.
     • “I put him in a harness fully prepared for him not to pull or do anything, and he took off and we had a blast.” — Kelsey Johnson [18:36]
  2. Find the right gear. Harness, belt, strong line, quick-release, and, of course, skis.
  3. Training matters. Verbal cues like “gee” (right) and “haw” (left) help; avoid “squirrel-wipeouts.”
     • “A lot of people use G for right, haw for left. Easy to slow down, but you can use anything you want.” — Johnson [19:22]
  4. Expect chaos. Dogs will be dogs—plan for mishaps.
     • “You have two dogs and they run on each side of a light pole...” — Becky Schaefer [20:33]
  • For many, skijoring is about dog-owner bonding and winter well-being.
    • “Going out on a trail with my dog is the most amazing thing and it totally resets me.” — Schaefer [20:03]
  • Bonus tip: Always clean up after your dog!
    • “Just being good stewards of the poop that our dogs leave behind and picking it up...” — Tristan Knudsen Lombardo [21:40]

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6. Iditarod Rookie: Kevin Hansen of Kotzebue

[22:04 - 26:46]
Reporter: Desiree Hagan

• Family and Tradition:
  • Hansen grew up in a mushing family in Kotzebue; his father ran the Iditarod in 2017.
  • Started mushing in grade school, sprint-racing before working up to larger teams.
  • “You know, I was the kid that woke up early before school to check the results...” — Hansen [23:38]
• Training and Challenge:
  • Multiple-time Kobuk 440 finisher; recognizes the leap in challenge to the Iditarod.
  • Logistical planning is immense, and costs are high—especially off the road system.
    • “Everything we do get is freighted in. The freight expenses are just continuing to increase.” — Hansen [25:14]
  • Outfitting team of 16 dogs for race; feeling nerves but also excitement.
  • “You really feel it out there in times when it’s just you, your dogs and the land and dealing with the elements and challenges.” — Hansen [26:09]
  • Deep pride in representing his region and preserving Inupiaq culture through the sport.

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Notable Quotes & Highlights

• On regulatory change:
  • “I gotta tell you, it’s a breath of fresh air.” — Gov. Mike Dunleavy [02:41]
• On animal sheltering crisis:
  • “You don’t know you need someone to deal with 103 bunnies until you need someone to deal with 103 bunnies.” — Becky Wint Pearson [06:48]
• On cultural resources:
  • “It’s absolutely a keystone species. It’s one of the cornerstones of our diet...” — Charlie Skoltka Jr. on black seaweed [16:34]
• On skijoring mishaps:
  • “You have two dogs and they run on each side of a light pole…” — Becky Schaefer [20:33]
• On mushing tradition:
  • “You really feel it out there in times when it’s just you, your dogs and the land and dealing with the elements and challenges.” — Kevin Hansen [26:09]

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Timed Segment Index

• [01:31] Energy policy & EPA visit
• [05:13] Anchorage animal shelter crisis
• [10:58] Child exploitation prosecution
• [13:09] Black seaweed research in southeast
• [17:38] Skijoring tips for Alaskan winters
• [22:04] Iditarod rookie musher interview

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Episode Tone & Style

The episode is factual and empathetic, with a blend of investigative reporting, practical advice, and storytelling from community members. The overall tone is conversational but authoritative, reflecting Alaska’s unique character—resourceful, community-oriented, and closely tied to land, animals, and tradition.

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End of summary.

Transcript

[Casey Grove]

The PFD application is open. Just a small amount of your PFD

[Narrator/Announcer]

will help share local news and stories about Alaskans with Alaskans across this great state. When you choose Alaska Public Media through Pick Click Give.

[Casey Grove]

Some water systems are struggling to be able to pay for the work in order to come into compliance. The federal government's top environment regulator defends rollbacks on forever chemicals at a stop in Fairbanks. From Alaska Public Media, this is statewide news on Alaska News nightly for Thursday, March 5th. Good evening. I'm Casey Grove. Also tonight, Anchorage officials are struggling to deal with animals seized in a criminal case. You don't know you need someone to deal with 103 bunnies until you need someone to deal with 103 bunnies. Those stories and more tonight on Alaska News Nightly.

[Shelby Herbert]

I'm Shelby Herbert, a reporter with the Alaska Desk. That's a joint reporting effort from Alaska Public Media and kuac, where I work in Fairbanks and other public radio stations in Anchorage, Haines and the Allusions. It allows us to connect to the issues happening in communities all across the state. You can hear our stories during the Morning news Alaska News Nightly or [e-mail] the Alaska Desk is only possible with the support of grants and listeners like you. Thank you.

[Casey Grove]

Governor Mike Dunleavy was joined by the federal government's top environmental official for a tour of a coal fired power plant in Fairbanks yesterday. As Shelby Herbert reports for the Alaska Desk, they were there to talk about the future of energy and environmental regulation in the interior.

[Shelby Herbert]

Governor Mike Dunleavy was joined by Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin at the plant that powers the University of Alaska Fairbanks. It was just one stop on a tour of interior energy infrastructure. Here's Dunleavy.

[Casey Grove]

So the administrator is up here looking at things like coal plants on the base, fuel plants on the base, coal plants. We are also looking at a whole host of other things, including the impact of some of the regulations on Diesel, diesel trucks, etc. Here in Alaska.

[Shelby Herbert]

The visit comes as communities across the nation, including Alaska, face rising energy costs and growing pressure to balance economic development with environmental safeguards. Dunleavy and Zeldin praised deregulation of energy and resource extraction projects. Dunleavy said that the Trump administration's moves to retire some rules will revitalize the state's economy.

[Casey Grove]

I gotta tell you, it's a breath of fresh air.

[Shelby Herbert]

They also took questions from reporters, including a few about the EPA's recent push to repeal or extend deadlines for drinking water quality standards. That's mostly for a group of synthetic forever chemicals called pfas, which are known to pose significant health risks to humans. PFAS have contaminated wells across Alaska, particularly near airports and military bases in the interior. According to the state Department of Spill Prevention and Response. The EPA is currently moving to drop limits on four PFAS chemicals and has extended limits for others by a couple years. The Zeldin denied walking back drinking water standards, but said extending compliance deadlines was necessary.

[Casey Grove]

Some water systems are struggling to be able to pay for the work in order to come into compliance in that water system, so they were requesting more time. I can't think of any exception where I feel like the leadership of that water system is looking to deliver anything but the best product at the most affordable price.

[Shelby Herbert]

Zeldin also said the EPA is in the process of vetting new technologies to remediate PFAS contaminated soil and that he's particularly interested in a prototype that's being tested at Joint Base Elmendorf Richardson that can treat contaminated soil on the spot

[Casey Grove]

because what's happened in the past is that the soil would have to get sent all the way down to the lower 48 at a very big cost. It's now becoming more economical so that Alaskans can instead remediate it.

[Shelby Herbert]

Here in Alaska, Governor Dunleavy said that the state isn't looking to, quote, bring the hammer down on water systems, end quote, but promised consequences for companies that don't ultimately meet quality deadlines. Separately, a bill in the Alaska Legislature would require yearly drinking water tests and assigned increased liabilities to parties responsible for PFAS contamination. When asked how he felt about such initiatives, the Dunleavy said that any bill that sets back Alaska's development would have a hard time getting over the line. Reporting in Fairbanks, I'm Shelby Herbert.

[Casey Grove]

Animal Care and Control in Anchorage is designed to hold about 150 animals, but right now there are nearly 250. As Alaska Public Media's Hannah Flor reports, officials are struggling to deal with the huge number of animals seized in a neglect case.

[Hannah Flor]

There is a lot going on at Anchorage's Animal Care and Control. There are roosters in the dog kennels, fish tanks in the hallway, more roosters with the bunnies. More bunnies in an old classroom. So many bunnies it can be tricky

[Casey Grove]

to have them with louder animals like chickens and roosters.

[Hannah Flor]

Logan Robinson is the deputy shelter manager. He says it's been tough finding a place for all the bunnies. They like it quiet, he says. Those big ears are sensitive.

[Casey Grove]

It can be tricky to have Them with louder animals like chickens and roosters. But obviously we have to work with what we have.

[Hannah Flor]

What they have is a facility that is way past capacity because of an animal neglect case. On January 22, the city seized 103 bunnies, 36 birds, hens and roosters, two cats and nine fish. They're all housed at Animal Care and Control, along with the regular assortment of animals the shelter is taking care of 240 in all. In a space meant for far fewer. It's stretching resources and straining staff. There isn't room to take in other animals in need, and the animals that are there aren't getting enough love and attention. Municipal Manager Becky Wint Pearson says. It's an unusual situation, but these are the things local governments have to tackle.

[Casey Grove]

You don't know you need someone to deal with 103 bunnies until you need someone to deal with 103 bunnies. And quite often that's some part of your municipal government that's going to come have the solution to that.

[Hannah Flor]

Officials seized the animals from a man near Little Rabbit Creek in South Anchorage. Charging documents state the address had been the site of an ongoing animal welfare issue and describe animals covered in feces in cages outdoors and rabbits roaming free indoors. Now the 15050 animals are all in the municipality's protective custody until the case is resolved. It's a kind of limbo with strict rules. No photographs with identifying features, no names for the animals or even numbers, and they can't be adopted out until the neglect case is over. Wundt Pearson doesn't know how long that'll be.

[Casey Grove]

We're hopeful that we'll be able to get through it in a reasonable amount of time and make a decision about the custody of all these animals.

[Hannah Flor]

Fingers crossed for Easter, she says. A great time to promote bunny adoption, but that's not looking super likely. In the meantime, they love to house the bunnies somewhere else to free up some space, but it's been hard to find somewhere suitable.

[Casey Grove]

We don't want a carpeted facility, but there's also zoning restrictions.

[Hannah Flor]

The bunnies are taking up a lot of space because each animal has to be kept in its own cage. Tamiya Liebersbach is with the Anchorage Health Department and oversees the animal shelter. She says bunnies can be vicious. You can see the results of co living, she says. Eye damage and bitten ears. She says that co living might also be the reason there are so many of them.

[Shelby Herbert]

Certainly with bunnies, you know it's a saying for a reason. You could have a few bunnies and they could rapidly reproduce to the 103 that we seized.

[Hannah Flor]

Those 103 bunnies are now racking up an impressive room and board bill that's

[Shelby Herbert]

$3 per rabbit per day. So it's minimal when you think about just one bunny. But when you have 103 bunnies and a bunch of other animals, it adds up very quickly.

[Hannah Flor]

If the defendant is found guilty, he'll get stuck with the bill, about $15,000 a month. Liebersbach estimates a guilty verdict would also mean the animals could be adopted out, but the complications wouldn't be over. Liebersbach is worried about the bunnies. They're not the most desirable pet, she says. High maintenance, low interaction. What if there aren't 103 forever homes? And besides, Anchorage is already full of feral bunnies.

[Shelby Herbert]

You probably could just trap one outside if you wanted a pet bunny. So if these rabbits become ours, we're really going to have to be creative on how we market their adopt.

[Hannah Flor]

Once they're out of protective custody, they finally get names that'll help, Leimersbach says. But 103 bunny names all at once. Deputy shelter manager Robinson says he's not actually worried about that part.

[Casey Grove]

I do have some staff members who

are the animal care technicians that have

long lists of names in their phones.

[Hannah Flor]

Is this just a thing that animal technicians do? They like think about pet names on a daily basis?

[Casey Grove]

Yeah.

[Hannah Flor]

In the meantime, Robinson says, people can sign up to volunteer. There are 103 bunnies that need cuddling in Anchorage. I'm Hannah Fluor.

[Casey Grove]

Still to come on Alaska News Nightly, turning pent up puppy energy into the fast moving winter sport of skijoring.

I think it's something really cool that I can share with my dogs.

[Shelby Herbert]

It gets them exercising.

[Casey Grove]

That's ahead. Stay with us.

[Shelby Herbert]

I'm Shelby Herbert, a reporter with the Alaska Desk. That's a joint reporting effort from Alaska Public Media and kuac, where I work in Fairbanks and other public radio stations in Anchorage Haines and the Allusions. It allows us to connect to the issues happening in communities all across the state. You can hear our stories during the Morning News Alaska News Nightly or [e-mail] the Alaska Desk is only possible with the support of grants and listeners like you. Thank you.

[Casey Grove]

A Bangladeshi national extradited to Alaska on child sexual exploitation charges made his first appearance in federal court today in Anchorage. 28 year old Zobeidul Amin is accused of operating what prosecutors describe as an international child sexual exploitation enterprise. In July 2022, a grand jury indicted Amin on charges that he used social media apps like Snapchat and Instagram to entice hundreds of minors into making sex mutually explicit content. Court documents described a 14 year old Alaska girl who reported her interactions with Amin to local police in December 2021 as the, quote, first domino that eventually caused Amin's enterprise to fall. Through dozens of search warrants and subpoenas, law enforcement officials say they were able to link Amin to hundreds of other victims. He allegedly threatened to expose them to family and friends if they didn't send additional sexually charged photos or videos. In some instances, Amin forced minors to put him in contact with other girls he could exploit, according to a memorandum prosecutors filed today to argue for detaining him pending the outcome of the case. According to the FBI, Amin was arrested by Malaysian police in Kuala Lumpur in September 2022 and was charged by the Attorney General's Chambers of Malaysia with 13 counts related to possession and production of child sexual abuse materials. He was transported to Alaska on Wednesday and taken into custody by the FBI. Amin is charged with 13 federal criminal counts, including conspiracy to distribute and receive child sexual abuse materials, cyberstalking, aggravated identity theft and fraud. He pleaded not guilty. If convicted, Amin faces 20 years to life in prison. Researchers are documenting black seaweed across seven communities in Southeast Alaska. They're trying to get a baseline for the seaweed and are looking at whether the important cultural resource should be considered a keystone species. KCAW's Hope McKinney reports.

[Hope McKinney]

Black seaweed, Hlokusk and Tlingit hasn't been documented much in the past. It's mentioned in everywhere, but it's a

[Casey Grove]

paragraph, a sentence in all these different ethnographic studies about Southeast Alaska and about northwest coast cultures.

[Hope McKinney]

Dr. Kelly Monteleone is an underwater anthropologist at Sealaska Heritage Institute.

[Casey Grove]

So really important resource, but nobody spent the time to actually document it and that's what I was asked to do.

[Hope McKinney]

She's working on a multi year project, largely funded by a $350,000 National Science foundation grant, to determine if black seaweed is a cultural keystone spec and document its cultural and environmental significance. Monteleone sees herself as a facilitator for the project. She's brought together a team including several Tlingit and Tsimshian researchers to help her hold community meetings to shadow field harvests and conduct interviews in seven communities across Southeast we want to make sure we

[Casey Grove]

have the documentation, especially with things like the increase in mariculture, not that we necessarily are thinking that people are going to start growing black seaweed but as they start putting farms in places, is it going to affect people's access of their existing black seaweed harvest locations? As climate is changing, how is that,

[Hope McKinney]

you know, sea levels are rising, how

[Casey Grove]

is that going to affect people's access to black seaweed? Where's black seaweed going to move to?

[Hope McKinney]

In recent years, traditional harvesters in British Columbia and southeast Alaska say black seaweed has become more difficult to find and has been affected by a green slime. Researchers have linked the disappearance from the intertidal shoreline to an enormous hot water mass in the northern Pacific known as the Blob that moved from the Gulf of Alaska down to California a little over a decade ago. As temperatures cooled in the following years, British Columbia's seaweed started to rebound, but not like before. And both researchers and harvesters remain concerned that as the climate continues to change, the distribution and abundance of black seaweed is being impacted, affecting community well being and food security. Charlie Skoltka Jr. Who teaches arts and culture classes in Sitka schools, says he can't remember a time in his life when he didn't go out and participate in black seaweed harvesting.

[Casey Grove]

It's something that has always been on our table and in our pantry, and it is one of the cornerstone foods to our lifestyle.

[Hope McKinney]

The 62 year old is Haida, sue and Ojibwa. His family migrated to Sitka in the 1950s, and every spring they would take a boat to large rocks offshore and harvest the black seaweed's long hair like fronds.

[Casey Grove]

I have seen many changes. I've seen a change in climate.

[Desiree Hagan]

I've seen a change in abundance and also in quality.

[Casey Grove]

There's so many factors at play right now that have to do with our ocean harvesting.

[Hope McKinney]

Skoltka is concerned that changes in water temperature, increased vessel traffic and sewage discharge into local waters is starting to affect black seaweed, he says. That's why Monteleone's research is so important. By talking to harvesters about the changes they've seen over the years and documenting local knowledge, communities can get a baseline for what's going on and make it abundantly clear that it's a resource that people continue to rely on.

[Casey Grove]

It's absolutely a keystone species. It's one of the cornerstones of our diet, as is herring and salmon and all these other resources. To recognize it any other way is foolish. It has been going on for thousands of years.

[Hope McKinney]

As costs rise for fuel, rent and imported groceries across many small communities in Alaska, Skoltka says subsistence foods are as important as ever and need to be protected for the future.

[Casey Grove]

It's getting to the point now. Without doing these things sustainably and being able to practice our subsistence harvesting, pretty soon, no Alaskans will be able to afford to live in Alaska.

[Hope McKinney]

Monteleone says her team will be in Sitka, Kake and Heidelberg this spring to do field harvests and interviews with local harvesters and processors. After the field visits are complete, they will be writing a book about the research, which she hopes will be complete by late 2028. Reporting in Sitka, I'm Hope McKenney.

[Casey Grove]

Winter in Alaska can feel endless, and if you've got a dog with energy to spare, those months feel even longer. For Alaska Survival, Kit KTOO's Clarice Larson offers four tips to turn that pent up energy into a fast moving winter sport.

Skijoring my dog Bloon is a 6 year old giant fluffy husky rescue who has the eyes of an angel but the energy of a rabid raccoon. She never stops, and especially during the winter when it's dark and cold, it can get tough to find ways to keep her tame and me sane. But over the years, I've discovered one way to truly, truly tire her out and also have fun in the process is skijoring. Okay, ready baby? You ready? Hey, let's go, let's go. Go bunny, go.

Come on, let's go.

It's a winter sport where you essentially tie yourself to your dog while on skis and they pull you down a trail. Kind of like mushing for one. And even though I've been doing it for five years now, I've still got a lot to learn. So I talked with some professionals to come up with four main takeaways on how to make the quirky sport fun for both you and your pup. Kelsey Johnson got her start skijoring after she adopted her first of three huskies more than a decade ago. Tip number one don't force it. Make sure your dog wants to pull you. For Johnson and her dog Loki, that was pretty easy. I put him in a harness fully prepared for him not to pull or do anything, and he took off and we had a blast. Since then, she's been hooked. She's now the co president of the Alaska Skijoring and Polk Association, a nonprofit based in Fairbanks that promotes recreational and competitive skijoring in the interior. I think it's something really cool that I can share with my dogs. It gets them exercising. It lets them run at the speed that they want. They always have this sort of stupid, happy look on their face when they're out there. Skijoring tip number two is to find the right gear for you and your dog. Besides skis, you need a good harness for your dog, a sturdy line that connects you to your dog, and a good belt with a quick release mechanism in case your dog gets distracted. That leads to tip number three. Train your dog and yourself to avoid any unnecessary squirrel induced wipeouts or running into trees at full speed. Kelsey says teaching your dog some basic verbal cues can save you from a lot of wipeouts. A lot of people use G for right, haw for left. Easy to slow down, but you can, you can use anything you want. Come on, guys, we gotta go. There you go. That's Becky Schaefer ski dooring with her pack of two pups at Campbell Tract in East Anchorage in early February. Yeah, somebody peed there. Schaefer is a part of the Anchorage Skijoring Club. She says skijoring with her dogs Kai and Axe is always the highlight of her winter. Going out on a trail with my dog is the most amazing thing and it totally resets me. Tip number four is to prepare for your dog to, you know, be a dog and do exactly what you don't want them to do. Schaefer has a lot of experience with this. I mean, there's the classic. You have two dogs and they run on each side of a light pole or a bollard, and then they, they hit the end of their line and they kind of bonk together. But if, depending on how fast you're going, you hit the pole. For Schaefer, skijoring is much more than just a way to exercise her dogs and herself. It's something that deepens her bond with her dogs. I think the best thing about skijoring is when you come home from work or you come home from classes that your dog is there. And if your dog is like my dog, they'll. They'll tell you they want to go out and skijor. And it gets me through many days in the winter. And if you're a responsible dog owner and care about community hygiene, take note of this bonus tip from Tristan Knudsen Lombardo, the executive director of the Juno Nordic Ski Club. He says, always remember to pick up your dog's poop.

Just being good stewards of the poop that our dogs leave behind and picking it up, knowing that there's gonna be lots of people that come after us to use this trail.

He says a beautiful snowy trail can transform into a brown and stinky slip and slide all too quickly. So you do your part and I'll do mine. That is stinky. Oh my God. What did you eat on the trails in Juneau, I'm Clarice Larsen.

This story is part of an ongoing series from Alaska Public Media called Alaska Survival Kit, where we help you make the most of living in the 40 state. The thousand mile Iditarod Trail sled dog race begins Saturday with 13 first timers. Only one of those rookies hails from western Alaska though, and that's Kevin Hansen of Kotzebue. He sat down with Kotz's Desiree Hagan to talk about the upcoming race.

[Desiree Hagan]

So I was pretty much born into being around sled dogs, he says.

[Narrator/Announcer]

His parents always had a sled dog kennel.

[Desiree Hagan]

Back in those days everyone had dogs and lived off of them and required them for survival, you know, and so I kind of remember that larger mushing community as I was growing up.

[Narrator/Announcer]

Now the 35 year old Hansen is running the Iditarod for the first time. Some of Hansen's first memories were riding in the sled with his parents, Margaret and Paul Hanson. Later he stood in front of them with his feet on the sled runners.

[Desiree Hagan]

I was on the sled at elementary school. You know, I was kind of got into it young, working with my dad.

[Narrator/Announcer]

I helped him a lot, hansen says. By third grade, he started sprint racing, starting with one dog and eventually working up to three dog teams. Growing up in Kotzebue, Hansen followed local mushers John Baker and Ed Eaton during their Iditarod runs.

[Desiree Hagan]

You know, I was the kid that woke up early before school to check the results on the website and follow the race.

[Narrator/Announcer]

Hansen's father also ran the Iditarod in 2017, so he knows a little bit about what to expect. Plus, Hansen completed the mid distance Kobuk 440 race six times.

[Desiree Hagan]

That's a really challenging race in itself and I've heard from a lot of Iditarod veterans, you know, like how much that can prepare you for Iditarod versus any other type of qualifying races.

[Narrator/Announcer]

He took second in the Kobuk 440 last year behind Jesse Holmes. Holmes had just won the Iditarod a few weeks before. Hansen plans to start his Iditarod run with a 16 dog team with leaders Rambo and Caveman. Hansen says he has a strong team, although he's starting to feel nervous about a race that can take mushers up to two weeks to complete.

[Desiree Hagan]

It's kind of the unknown. I don't know what to expect. I haven't gone more than the 440, which is what, three, four days on the trail like that.

[Narrator/Announcer]

There are logistical challenges completing all the

[Desiree Hagan]

food drop bags, 4:40, you know, there's 1, 2, 3, 5, 5 checkpoints or so that you send out bags to. And I did read there's like 18, 19 and so a month in advance, three weeks in advance. You have to plan your basically what anything you might need on the trail for the entire race.

[Narrator/Announcer]

It's an expensive endeavor, especially for top tier mushers who live off the road system.

[Desiree Hagan]

And as I become more competitive, that just means that, you know, you need a higher quality gear and food and proper nutrition for the team. And basically everything we, everything we do get is freighted in. The freight expenses are just continuing to increase.

[Narrator/Announcer]

Hansen declined to comment about specific prices. Another Kotzebue musher said a pallet of straw can cost several thousand dollars. Freight costs alone can add about a dollar per pound to the price of dog food. Some of those costs are covered by sponsors including Manilik association, where Hansen works full time as a physical therapist. This year he's been able to get some extra time off to compete. Hansen says he's thankful despite the challenges. He says he's looking forward to his first Iditarod.

[Desiree Hagan]

You know, I love being out in the country and, you know, keep that part of our culture and being out there and feeling that connection to the land and it kind of, you know, part of who I am as an Inupac. And you really feel it out there in times when it's just you, your dogs and the land and dealing with the elements and challenges.

[Narrator/Announcer]

And he says it's really cool to travel by dog team in Kotzebue. I'm Desiree Hagen.

[Casey Grove]

And that's all for this edition of Alaska News Nightly. We had reports tonight from Shelby Herbert in Fairbanks, Hannah Fluor and Wesley early in Anchorage, Hope McKinney in Sitka, Evan Erickson in Bethel, Clarice Larson in Juneau, and Desiree Hagan in Kotzebue. If you want to send us a news tip, question or comment, email [e-mail] Our audio engineer is Crystal Hyde. Kirsten Dobrathy is our producer and I'm Casey Grove. Good night.