In September, Bethel residents had the rare chance to attend in-person events with opponents of the proposed mine, and with the tribal landholders and mining leaders pushing it forward.

The National Weather Service has issued a high surf advisory for the northern Kuskokwim Delta coast and a special weather statement for the Yukon Delta coast.

The fall run of chum salmon is the third lowest in a record that goes back to the 1970s, but there were some positive signs.

Six tribes from the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta sued the federal government over its environmental analysis of the proposed Donlin Gold project. A federal district court judge found that the federal government did violate the law in some aspects of its analysis, but denied some of the tribes' other claims.

Researchers believe that if permafrost thaw continues at its current rate and mercury keeps being released, it could pose a real threat to many communities throughout northern and western Alaska.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service says the last of the known PCBs and asbestos have been removed, but that residents should avoid the area to prevent cement dust exposure until the end of October 2024.

Permafrost Pathways started two years ago with the goal of mapping the permafrost thaw and putting that data into the hands of the communities themselves. As human-caused climate change continues to warm the region and the permafrost melts more and more, the project is expanding.

A lawsuit brought by Bethel’s tribal government challenging a state water quality certification for the Donlin Gold mine project is set to have oral arguments in Anchorage Superior Court on Friday, Aug. 30.

Residents of low-lying villages in Alaska know exactly where their communities are most prone to flooding, but that information hasn’t always been accessible on a wider scale. New research helps compile on-the-ground flood observations to help communities and outside agencies prepare for and predict future floods.

Reporter Jenna Kunze says the shift in many far-flung communities to satellite internet has been profound.