The Arctic Ahead

New Ocean Conservancy report maps conservation and management scenarios in Arctic Alaska

Anchorage, ALASKA – The Arctic is at a critical crossroads of change according to a new Ocean Conservancy report that modeled the potential impacts of industrial development in Arctic Alaska over the next 25 years.

“The future of the Arctic depends on the decisions made right now. With so much at stake—including vital and irreplaceable areas for both local communities and wildlife—we need leadership to apply a holistic regional management approach,” said Andrew Hartsig, director of Ocean Conservancy’s Arctic Program.

“The Arctic Ahead: Conservation and Management in Arctic Alaska” assesses potential impacts associated with hypothetical future development scenarios. The report, developed in partnership with Audubon Alaska, shows how future industrial activities and infrastructure—including increasing vessel traffic and oil and gas activity—could conflict with other values and resources, such as wildlife habitat or areas used for subsistence hunting.

Industrial development and activities already affects significant portions of Arctic Alaska. Oil and gas companies have proposed additional hydrocarbon development, both onshore and offshore. Vessel traffic in Arctic waters is growing as ships take advantage of increasingly ice-free waters. And Arctic peoples and wildlife face rapid and dramatic environmental shifts related to global climate change. This mixture of rapid environmental change and increasing industrialization has the potential to transform Arctic Alaska.

Responsibility for the management of both land and sea environments in the U.S. Arctic is divided between federal and state government agencies and departments with widely varying missions, operating under an array of statutory mandates and a range of regulatory jurisdictions. In the future, successful management will require a more integrated approach.

“We need to shift to holistic planning at a regional scale based on science-based decision-making, meaningful engagement and consultation with the full range of stakeholders, identification and protection of important areas, and rigorous analysis of the cumulative effects of proposed industrial infrastructure and activities,” says Hartsig. “Successful integrated management will help decision-makers to plot the best course for the Arctic’s future.”

Ocean Conservancy recommends using Alaska’s Beaufort Sea coast as a test case for developing an Integrated Arctic Management plan that would identify and conserve high-value habitat and subsistence-use areas—both onshore and offshore—while allowing for carefully regulated industrial development and activity in limited areas. In addition, efforts to mitigate the impacts of increasing vessel traffic should be prioritized in key areas, such as the Bering Strait.

Ocean Conservancy is working with you to protect the ocean from today’s greatest global challenges. Together, we create science-based solutions for a healthy ocean and the wildlife and communities that depend on it. For more information, visit www.oceanconservancy.org, or follow us on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.