Hillary Is Off Target To Attack Bernie On Guns
Carl Johnson has a juris doctorate from the University of Minnesota Law School and practiced law in Alaska for 10 years Now that the race is tightening, Hillary Clinton is increasing her attacks on Bernie Sanders regarding his record on gun control. Starting back in October and as recently as this week, she notes how she and President Obama while in the Senate voted against a bill that would grant blanket immunity to gun manufacturers from law suits. In contrast, she claims, Bernie Sanders voted in favor of the bill. Simply put, Hillary Clinton is not only lying but, as…
The Mudflats Holiday Guide
The chaos of Black Friday has passed. The quiet insanity of Cyber Monday has gone by without incident. Now we are officially into the Holiday season, so start looking for the perfect tree, light the first candle on that Menorah and check out this short list of must have Alaska gifts. Some of them are tax deductible, some of them benefit us at the Mudflats but all of them one way or another support Alaska. 1) For just $50 you can get our favorite hoodie and a membership to Cook Inletkeeper! It’s a fantastic gift and includes shipping to where ever you…
Court Delivers Double-Whammy Over Pebble
Friday, the Alaska Supreme Court issued two decisions that will have far-reaching impacts about how the Department of Natural Resources conducts business in hard rock mineral exploration, and the ability of the State and others to chill opposition. While the two cases involved the Pebble Prospect exploration, neither will impact the development of that mine. Background In 1988, Teck Cominco drilled the first exploration wells in what would become the 360 square-mile Pebble Prospect. By 2010, ownership of the Pebble claims would change hands from Teck Cominco to Northern Dynasty Minerals to the Pebble Limited Partnership. Collectively, those entities would…
Court Sees Value in Protecting Bristol Bay
Before the Bristol Bay Forever Initiative was ever printed on statewide ballots, it had to defend a legal challenge from an individual named Richard Hughes, the Alaska Miners Association, and the Council of Alaska Producers. The Alaska Supreme Court issued an oral decision allowing that initiative to go to the ballot. Today, the Court issued a written order justifying its decision, Hughes v. Treadwell, Slip Op. No. 6981 (Alaska Supreme Court, Jan. 30, 2015). In order for a citizen ballot initiative to be valid in Alaska, it must avoid certain prohibited topics. Under Article XI, section 7, it may not engage in an appropriation…
Forest Service Gutting 1st Amendment? Relax.
There’s a lot of outrage on the Internets these days about proposed plans by the U.S. Forest Service to gut the First Amendment by requiring permits for news media or nature photographers in Federally-designated wilderness areas on Forest Service lands. After reading a lot of the outrage, there are two things that come abundantly clear: None of the outraged have actually read the applicable Federal Register notice, and none of them are aware that this has been the status quo on Federal public lands for decades. Nothing on the face of the notice actually applies to the media. So, you have to look at the applicable proposed…
Aurora Hits Lower 48 Tonight!*
It’s rare that the lower 48 gets a good look at the aurora – but depending where you are in the northern USA and southern Canada tonight you just might get a chance. According to some experts it’s going to be a good week for viewing the northern lights… assuming cloud cover stays away and you can find somewhere away from light pollution. For all of those first time aurora shooters out there, I recommend that you read TheMudflats contributor Carl Johnson‘s article over at his blog, with some great pointers on how to get the best image. Please also check…
The Weekend Off – The News You Missed
Alaska ADN (Alaska Dispatch News) – Alaska newspaper gets new name, new mission Some of you will be understandably surprised as you pick up your Sunday newspaper. It looks similar, but the name has changed. The Anchorage Daily News has now become Alaska Dispatch News. Carl Johnson – EPA Proposes Limiting Size, but not Stopping, Pebble Mine The EPA has released a “Proposed Determination” as to how it plans to exercise its authority under the Clean Water Act, Section 404(c), regarding the development of the Pebble Mine in the Bristol Bay region of southwest Alaska. Le’t be clear – the EPA is not proposing…
Aurora Lite
After the early tease of the aurora in late August, I’ve been itching for the chance to get my next northern light fix. Even though the forecast emphasized overcast skies the aurora was supposed to be stormy so Carl Johnson and I ventured out to find a clearing in the sky. We did. It only lasted briefly and it was faint – but the stars were bright so it made for from some interesting shots. This one was on our way back along the highway – the street lights made the trees glow yellow.
BRISTOL BAY PHOTOGRAPHY EXHIBIT OPENS AT SNOW CITY CAFÉ
BRISTOL BAY PHOTOGRAPHY EXHIBIT OPENS AT SNOW CITY CAFÉ – SEPT. 6, 2013 5:30-8:00 P.M. Accompanying silent auction to benefit Trustees for Alaska and its Bristol Bay efforts Snow City Cafe – 1034 W. 4th Ave. , Anchorage, Alaska 99501 A collection of images captured in the Bristol Bay region of Alaska by Anchorage photographer Carl Johnson is being exhibited at Snow City Café in downtown Anchorage for the month of September 2013. Drawn from over 24,000 images captured during three years of fieldwork on a book project dedicated to the Bristol Bay region and its people, this unique showcase…
Aurora Hunt Successful
Saturday night while most people are hitting the bars and partying – Mudflats contributor Carl Johnson, Frank Stelges and I journeyed to an undisclosed location to hunt the elusive aurora. (I have been sworn to secrecy) While our prey took a long time to show – when it did – it was a glorious one. The moon was out in full force, and barely a cloud in the sky, the stars were shining bright and thankfully the temperature stayed relatively nice… so here my mud-puppies are the spoils of a victorious hunt. The mighty aurora.