Alaska News Nightly: Tuesday, September 2, 2025

Host: Casey Grove, Alaska Public Media
Episode Summary by Section and Timestamps

Overview

This episode covers a range of issues impacting Alaska, including the controversy over federal land management plans, the closure of an influential Arctic research group, mining expansion in Skagway, a natural disaster in Tracy Arm, public safety incidents, bear-human conflicts in Kodiak, and Alaska’s first 3D printed home in Nome. The stories highlight tensions between development and conservation, the challenge of living with Alaska's hazards, and innovative solutions for housing in the state.

Major News Themes & Discussion Points

1. Closure of the Arctic Research Consortium

[01:09 - 03:02]

• The Arctic Research Consortium of the United States (ARCUS) is shutting down at the end of September after losing its main NSF grant.
• ARCUS connected thousands of researchers and provided grants for early career scientists to attend conferences.
• Researcher Michael Walsh notes the closure comes as the federal government is developing a new five-year plan for Arctic research.
  • Quote:

    "What are the policy drivers? What are the priority areas? What should the US government focus on supporting in the context of Arctic research?"
    — Michael Walsh [01:59]

• Walsh critiques the gap between federal rhetoric and investment in Arctic research.
  • Quote:

    "One would expect that what would follow from that would be a proliferation of Arctic study centers...and we haven't seen that yet."
    — Michael Walsh [02:41]

2. Controversy Over the Central Yukon Resource Management Plan

[03:02 - 06:29]

• Alaska’s congressional delegation wants to repeal a federal land-use plan (Central Yukon Resource Management Plan) impacting 13 million acres along the Dalton Highway and in Northwestern Alaska.
• The plan, drawn up over a decade with input from 40 tribes, is viewed by Congressman Nick Begich and others as a barrier to projects like the Ambler Road, which would facilitate mining.
  • Begich argues that stakeholder feedback indicates a need for repeal.
  • Some regional residents and tribal leaders, like Melinda Chase, feel local voices are disregarded.
    • Quote:

      "What does Begich know about my land? What does Sullivan really know about it? They're not out there living like our people are on the land."
      — Melinda Chase [05:14]

    • Quote:

      "It's pretty much our last hope at continuing our way of life."
      — Melinda Chase [05:40]

  • Concerns include pressure on subsistence resources such as caribou, moose, and already declining salmon.
    • Quote:

      "We already have no salmon for six years. We are already struggling with that. But the moose season has become more important than ever before because if you want to survive, you got to get a moose."
      — Melinda Chase [05:56]

• Two local corporations (Doyon and Nana) did not comment.

3. Skagway Moves Closer to New Mining Export Dock

[06:29 - 09:25]

• Skagway’s Borough Assembly starts the process to build a new dock for Canadian mining exports; will require federal permits, with costs covered by the Yukon government.
• Yukon Premier Ranj Pillay states that permitting does not commit Skagway to building the project, but positions it to move quickly if demand materializes.
  • Quote:

    "A positive decision on this item will not bind the municipality of Skagway to future decisions on this project..."
    — Casey Grove [07:48]

• The Casino Project and other developments in the Yukon could fuel demand; previously, the port's lease benefited the White Pass railway, but now revenues would flow directly to Skagway.
  • Quote:

    "We're just looking at bringing in a bunch more money. That money goes to Skagway now, not to White Pass."
    — Dead Potter & Casey Grove [08:51]

• The Assembly is concerned about ore contamination; they've resolved that any ore must transit in contained shipping.

4. Research Continues on Tracy Arm Landslide and Tsunami

[09:25 - 18:33]

• A massive landslide at Tracy Arm in August triggered a tsunami that stripped fjord shorelines and affected tides in Juneau, 75 miles away.
• Alaska State Seismologist Michael West (occasionally misattributed as Michael Walsh in this transcript) describes the event and ongoing research:
  • The landslide: an estimated "giant cube of rock, three to four football fields on all sides," about a quarter-mile in each dimension.
  • Quote:

    "Anything that was actually at the terminus of this glacier, right at the base of this landslide, would have been absolutely obliterated. I cannot see any way around that."
    — Michael West [12:44, 13:20]

  • Tsunami run-up reached around 1,400 feet up the mountainside.
  • Climate change is likely playing a role in the frequency of such landslides, especially near retreating glacier termini.
    • Quote:

      "I think that it is not a coincidence that there's a significant number of these slides that are happening right at the end of glaciers."
      — Michael West [15:03]

  • Predicting these events is extremely difficult, but satellite remote sensing can sometimes flag unstable slopes. Tracy Arm, however, gave almost no warning.
    • Quote:

      "This is the million dollar question. How do we coexist with this kind of hazard?"
      — Michael West [16:35]

    • Mentions unusual seismic "pops and creaks" right before the event—a vital clue for future detection.
      • Quote:

        "The seismic records from that morning are burned in my memory, and next time if I stumble across a record like that...you can bet your butt it's got my attention."
        — Michael West [17:48]

5. Kodiak Landfill Bears: Safety and Management Challenges

[18:57 - 22:00]

• Bear sightings at Kodiak landfill draw crowds and pose risks to tourists, staff, and the bears themselves.
  • Up to 13 bears have become habituated to eating garbage; this is harmful to their health.
    • Quote:

      "Unfortunately, these bears and their young are now conditioned to non-natural foods...and it's unlikely they will change their foraging habits."
      — Nate Svoboda, Wildlife Biologist [19:33]

  • The landfill perimeter is fortified with electric fencing, rock piles, and metal bracing, but bears push through.
    • Quote:

      "I've seen the bears come through the fence. They're just, they walk or run and they'll just go right through a fence. They've pushed down the chain link, they've pushed open gates. It is quite the challenge..."
      — Cody Allen, Facilities Director [20:52]

  • The borough estimates ongoing costs and no way to make the landfill completely bear-proof.
  • The best long-term solution may be to temporarily relocate the bears and reinforce the fence before hibernation.

6. Nome’s 3D Printed House: A Construction Innovation

[22:00 - 26:30]

• Nome is building Alaska’s first occupied 3D printed house, viewed with curiosity by locals and attracting outside attention.
  • The $2M, 1,500-square-foot, three-bedroom, radiant-heated concrete house is funded by the Rasmussen Foundation, Denali Commission, and others.
    • Quote:

      "Ideally, we can build 70 to 100 homes here."
      — Natasha von Imhoff [22:47]

  • The 3D printer is mobile, mounted on tank treads, and can self-level using hydraulic arms, designed to be precise and to fit inside a shipping container. Potential for using local materials is part of the plan.
    • Quote:

      "It's mobile, so basically it's a printer on tracks like a tank."
      — Jose Pinto Duarte, Penn State [24:16]

    • Quote:

      "And it's really heavy because we need to be precise. And when you have the leverage of that arm being fully extended, you know it can get really wobbly and unstable."
      — Keith Comstock, Extreme Habitats Institute [24:52]

  • The aim is to print more homes, possibly expanding into other extreme environments—even Mars.
  • Upon completion, the house will be tested as short-term city housing, with future potential undetermined.
    • Quote:

      "It's beautiful. It has all kinds of different colors in it and it'll look gorgeous. There's browns, there's reds, there's blacks."
      — Jeff Berlin, project designer [25:30]

Additional News Highlights

• Anchorage Traffic Fatalities: Police report two men died in separate incidents over Labor Day weekend, with one hit and run investigation ongoing. [09:50 - 10:52]
• Missing Hiker in Juneau: The body of an Arizona resident was recovered near Mendenhall Glacier after a fall. [10:52 - 11:51]
• Landfill Bear Solution Discussion: Ongoing community and staff tension persists due to bear incursions and the challenge in finding humane solutions. [18:57 - 22:00]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Indigenous Land Knowledge:
  "What does Begich know about my land? What does Sullivan really know about it? They're not out there living like our people are on the land."
  — Melinda Chase [05:14]
• On Landslide and Tsunami Destruction:
  "Anything that was actually at the terminus of this glacier, right at the base of this landslide, would have been absolutely obliterated."
  — Michael West [12:44]
• On Innovative Construction:
  "It's mobile, so basically it's a printer on tracks like a tank."
  — Jose Pinto Duarte [24:16]
• On New Revenue for Skagway:
  "We're just looking at bringing in a bunch more money. That money goes to Skagway now, not to White Pass."
  — Dead Potter & Casey Grove [08:51]

Conclusion

This episode of Alaska News Nightly encapsulates the complexities and tensions facing Alaska: from the closure of essential research organizations and battles over public lands, to grappling with the risks of natural disasters, coexistence with wildlife, and the promise of technological innovation for housing. The voices of local leaders, scientists, and innovators carry the conversations, foregrounding the intersection between Alaska's land, its people, and its future.