Annual report cites Alaska's Susitna River as under threat from development
Southcentral Alaska's Susitna River is one of the nation's most endangered rivers because of a state plan to build a 100-mile road into its uplands to encourage mining, oil and gas drilling, logging and other development, according to a report released Wednesday.
The Susitna ranked eighth on a list of 10 threatened waterways cited in the annual report issued by the conservation group American Rivers.
The 10 sites in the report, titled America's Most Endangered Rivers of 2025, were chosen according to their ecological and community importance, the magnitude of the threats from pollution, development or other factors and the opportunities for the public to sway pending policy decisions.
For the Susitna, the threat comes from the West Susitna Access Project, according to the report. The project, being pursued by the Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities and the Alaska Industrial Development and Export Authority, proposes a road linking the Parks Highway north of Anchorage to the roadless upstream area of the Skwentna River, a Susitna River tributary that runs along the base of the Tordrillo Mountains.
The road would cross 180 streams, degrading hunting, fishing and wildlife habitat, and the mining, drilling and other resource extraction enabled by the road would contaminate the river's water and the air above it, the report said. That, in turn, would threaten fishing-related businesses and harvesters, local tourism and communities, including Alaska Native communities dependent on the river's resources for subsistence food-gathering, the report said.
The report urges the public to join the campaign against the road project by submitting comments during the ongoing environmental review process to oppose any U.S. Army Corps of Engineers permit approval. The report also urges the public to campaign against any federal funding of the project.
Organizations that advised American Rivers on the Susitna River's status included the Susitna River Coalition, Cook Inletkeeper and the Chickaloon Village Traditional Council, a Tribal government.
'The West Susitna Industrial Access Road will bring sweeping changes to our region—transforming fish and wildlife habitat, altering subsistence resources, decimating sustainable economies, and reshaping the outdoor experiences that Alaskans and visitors from around the world cherish,' Margaret Stern, program and communications director for the Susitna River Coalition, said in a statement released by American Rivers. 'This boondoggle project would open the door to large-scale industrial development in one of the world's last truly wild places. We must ensure that local communities, hunters, anglers, and all advocates for wild spaces make their voices heard in ensuring the future of this unique region.'
Officials from the Department of Transportation and Public Facilities and AIDEA did not immediately respond to questions about the American Rivers report.
The West Susitna Access Project stretches back more than a decade.
Supporters say it would unlock economic opportunities for the state. That argument is made in a short video posted on AIDEA's website.
'Millions of acres of state lands lie west of the Susitna River, providing new opportunities to Alaskans for outdoor recreation, jobs and economic growth. These lands hold critical minerals and other stranded resources that are vital for Alaska's economic future,' the video's narrator says.
The project was originally proposed in 2013 as part of then-Gov. Sean Parnell's Roads to Resources program, which envisioned numerous new roads that would enable resource extraction in remote areas of the state.
In 2023, the project was split in two, with the Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities in charge of the envisioned first 22 miles and AIDEA leading development plans for the remaining miles.
The state transportation department, which would use a combination of state and federal funding for the project, has launched an environmental review process needed to obtain a wetlands-development permit from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
However, Gov. Mike Dunleavy's request for $2.5 million to help move the project along was omitted from the state capital budget that the Alaska Senate passed unanimously on Tuesday.
Other Alaska rivers have made the annual list in past years, including the Kobuk River, which was in the 2024 report because of the proposed Ambler Access Project, which proposes an industrial road of about 200 miles into the Brooks Range foothills.
Other U.S. rivers listed in this year's report as being among the 10 most endangered are in different parts of the Lower 48 states.
The Mississippi River, which passes through several states, topped the endangered list. American Rivers based that status on increased flooding and what it categorized as inadequate flood prevention and response.
SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
USA Today
a day ago
- USA Today
His 'Yellow Submarine' dream sat in a swamp for decades. Why it was just hauled away.
Thousands of abandoned and derelict vessels around the US pose environmental and navigational challenges. A Florida man's dream to build a 100-foot-long submarine has formally ended after workers hauled the giant steel tube out of a Keys mangrove swamp to be hacked up and recycled. Known locally as the "Yellow Submarine" even though it had mostly rusted to a dirty red, the former piece of industrial equipment was the pipe dream of a Marathon resident who envisioned turning the windowless tube into an eco-tourism attraction. But the man's efforts ran squarely into that old nautical saying: A boat is a hole in the water you throw money into. The vessel had been tucked in a canal on a tiny island called Boot Key since the late 1990s. The then-owner told a reporter in 2008 that he'd rescued the steel vessel from a Chicago scrapyard and had it barged to the Keys, where he planned to renovate it into a powered submarine. He described floating around the erstwhile vessel on a homemade raft and predicted he was close to being finished. But 17 years later, contractors this week surrounded the rusting 100-ton tube with rigging and float bags so they could haul it ashore for recycling. The painstaking $195,000 removal of the vessel highlights the environmental and navigational challenges posed by the thousands of other abandoned and derelict vessels around the United States, from Florida to Alaska, Minnesota and Oregon. Florida law allows the government to seize and remove abandoned vessels, and to charge the owner for the cleanup. The 2008 news article said the then-owner discovered it would cost him $750,000 to get the vessel certified as seaworthy. "There was basically nothing inside ‒ it's just a huge tube," said Brittany Burtner, who oversaw the vessel's Aug. 11 removal. "It was actually still floating." 'It's shocking how much of it can be recycled' Burtner, who is Monroe County, Florida's, senior administrator for marine resources, said abandoned boats can contain everything from diesel fuel to oil and cleaning supplies that can leak into waterways when a vessel runs around or springs a leak. Because of the ongoing legal case involving the now-removed Yellow Submarine, Burtner said she didn't have publicly available information about who currently owned the vessel or why it had been abandoned. She said a 2021 change to Florida law allowed authorities to launch a derelict-vessel investigation after years of it sitting in the canal. Monroe County has been using a Biden-era $3 million federal grant to clean up abandoned vessels, and has already removed about 250 in the past 12 months. "A lot of things had to happen at once, and they all came together this year," Burtner said. "Even though this thing looks like a rust bucket … it's shocking how much of it can be recycled. They're probably going to spend the next month cutting it apart." Working to solve the problem The federal National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is separately funding the removal of more than 300 abandoned and derelict vessels across six states over the next four years, both on the seacoasts and along the Great Lakes. NOAA is providing $69 million for the work, which also includes removing abandoned fishing gear, tires and marine debris. Burtner said people often buy cheap used boats thinking they'll renovate them, get in over their heads, and then leave them anchored in a quiet cove before boating away. "What will be fairly common is that someone will abandon a boat and it will just sit there at anchor and just slowly fall apart," she said. "It's really hard to tell the difference between a boat that's just sitting there and a boat that's been abandoned. It can take years. It's a difficult problem we're working to solve from many different angles."
New York Post
5 days ago
- New York Post
700-pound shark caught off Connecticut coast may break state record: ‘Holy Mackerel'
Two Connecticut fishermen reeled in a massive 700-pound Thresher shark that could be the largest ever caught in state waters, according to a report. Ed Lovely, 46, spent over six hours wrestling the powerful predator alongside a friend off the coast of Stonington last Wednesday, ABC News reported. Once out on the water, Lovely strung out a fishing line and recalled thinking, 'Bang, I feel something,' as the hefty fish began pulling, he told the outlet. Two Connecticut fishermen reeled in a massive 700-pound Thresher shark that could be the largest ever caught in state waters. Ed Lovely 'We started fighting from there,' he said. Lovely worked for over six hours into the night with his fishing partner to reel in the 16.5-foot, 700-pound shark, which was longer than his entire boat, he recalled. At one point, he was in complete 'awe' over the shark's mammoth head peeking out of the waters. 'Wow, holy mackerel, look at that shark, it is the biggest shark I've ever seen,' Lovely remembered thinking at the time. Once they completed the harrowing catch, the pair of grown fishermen 'laid on the deck and started laughing like kids, just laying there in the dark with headlamps on,' he said. Since the shark was too big for Lovely's boat, it had to be rigged to the side of the boat — then towed away in a trailer once reaching land, the outlet reported. Lovely is currently in talks with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to see if the catch will break a Connecticut state record. Lovely is currently in talks with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to see if the catch will break a Connecticut state record. Ed Lovely A spokesperson for the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection also confirmed to the outlet that the triumph may qualify for a Marine Trophy Fish Award. Thresher sharks can be up to 20 feet long, according to the NOAA. Lovely's family has since cut up the shark's meat to be shared with family and friends, his wife, Cynthia, told the outlet.
Yahoo
27-07-2025
- Yahoo
Free cash for thousands of Aussies making simple backyard change
Tens of thousands of Australians are expected to cash in over the next four years by making a simple change in their own backyards. Two separate initiatives will kick off this week, offering cash rebates of up to $150 for simply planting native trees in their gardens. Over the next four years, West Australians can access the "treebate" program, a $6.9 million initiative open to all residents over 18 years old in the state. It comes as authorities scramble to recover tree canopies after an invasive pest known as the polyphagous shot-hole borer caused over 4,500 trees in Perth to be destroyed. "Everything we can do to enhance and plant more trees across Perth, and our entire state, will unlock a range of social, economic and environmental benefits for the entire community," WA Environment Minister Matthew Swinbourn said on Saturday. "The planting of thousands of trees under these two programs will build on the State Government's urban greening initiatives, creating communities that are greener, healthier and more liveable." What are the two initiatives for Aussie gardeners? There are two separate initiatives that Aussies can get involved in to access the $150 in funding. The first is the "Treebate Program", a $6.9 million initiative that is open to all residents in the state, aimed at boosting the state's tree canopy and improving native biodiversity in the region. The second is known as the WA Tree Recovery Program, which is aimed at residents who lost trees to the invasive beetle in the state. Eligible landowners can claim up to $150 for every tree removed under the authorisation of the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development because of PSHB. "All these measures will help increase urban canopy, protect biodiversity and cool our suburbs," Planning and Lands Minister John Carey said. Both rebates can be claimed via the ServiceWA app from Monday, 28 July. 🪴 Warning over common garden product as destructive threat spreads across Aussie city 🌳 Gardening photos highlight tiny sign trees are riddled with invasive species 🪲 Entire Aussie city quarantined as billion-dollar threat spreads Why is the invasive shot-hole borer so destructive? The shot-hole borer is regarded as one of the worst-known tree killers on the planet, due to its unique biology, ability to spread rapidly, and its devastating impact on both urban and natural ecosystems. In June, the federal government admitted it had lost the multimillion-dollar battle to eliminate the bug in Western Australia. The tiny beetle, which originally stems from Southeast Asia, was detected in Australia for the first time just four years ago. So far, it's infested over 4,500 trees in Perth, including 20 historic figs that were turned to mulch. While the beetle doesn't eat the wood, it introduces a type of fungus that it feeds on. The fungus blocks the tree's vascular system, causing dieback and often death. It can destroy over 100 different types of trees — including many Australian natives and popular trees like avocados, figs and maples. So far, the shot-hole borer has only been detected in Western Australia, but South Australia, in particular, is on high alert. Authorities are currently conducting a surveillance of some 500 sites across the state, including in Adelaide's metro area, to check for infestations. Arborists and botanists across the country are on high alert, as they say if infestations make their way to other cities, the result could be catastrophic. "We've been assuming it's going to be coming any day for a year or two now. We're working on the assumption that it could be tomorrow," Sydney Royal Botanic Gardens' Professor Brett Summerell previously said. Quiet shift away from traditional ornamental gardens Aussies are increasingly opting for native gardens, in a big shift away from traditional English ornamental plants, many of which are now deemed invasive weeds. Environmental educator Clancy Lester previously told Yahoo News there are many benefits to ditching traditional gardens and replacing them with natives. "A lot of native plants have adapted to the harsh Australian climate and these unique evolutions mean they can survive in drought and poor quality soils," he said. "If we're putting them in our gardens, they are going to be lower maintenance and you can forget about them. They don't have the water demands like some of our lawns and English plants do." Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@ You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube.
