FNSB Assembly Guts Borough Climate Action Committee and Replaces Members

The Fairbanks North Star Borough Proposed Climate Action and Adaptation Plan is in Danger

Former members of the Fairbanks North Star Borough Climate Action Committee were recently dismissed from their positions via email from the new Presiding Officer, Aaron Lojewski, who had just been elected by the new conservative majority of the Assembly.

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The prior makeup of the committee was:

Lisa Baraff (Former Program Director of the Northern Center)

Terry Chapin (UAF Professor Emeritus of Ecology)

Princess Johnson (former Executive Director for the Gwich’in Steering Committee, founding member of the Fairbanks Climate Action Coalition)

Stefan Milkowski (Fairbanks chapter Citizens Climate Lobby liaison to Senator Dan Sullivan)

Melissa Sikes (Natural Resource Education Specialist at the Fairbanks Soil and Water Conservation District)

Assemblymember Mindy O’Neall (Executive Director of the Cold Climate Housing Research Center)

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The new Climate Action Committee members are:

Aaron Gibson, Chair

Fred Vreeman

Vivan Stiver

Kevin McKinley

Harmony Tomaszewski

Assemblymember Barbara Haney

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A prior committee member has written: 

Our appointment to the committee was through the presentation of the plan to the borough. I had to apply to the committee. I went through a process to be on it and I was chosen for what I could bring to the committee which was the natural resource perspective including agriculture. We five members were involved in developing the RFP for the contractor, reviewing the applications, and providing input on the development of the plan and reviewing the contractor's work with developing the plan, and help with the public outreach through the whole process of developing the plan. I agreed to the work that was required and stayed with the process as a dedicated community member.

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I try my best to be kind, but also to speak the truth. 

The truth, here, is that this is a planned and coordinated move to neuter the climate expertise found on the Borough Climate Action Committee. It includes members that have loudly questioned or outright condemned the existence of climate change, as well as the Boroughs role in addressing it. This move comes after a year and a half of work by the previous committee and just weeks ahead of the plans unveiling.

Right-wing climate deniers try to paint the physics of climate disruption as a partisan issue, but here in Alaska we can see it happening ourselves: rapidly melting permafrost and glaciers, extreme weather events, changing weather patterns, and more. Climate change and our Borough's adaptability are economic and humanitarian issues and we need to tackle them using a practical, solutions based approach.

This move goes against what our community has loudly and constantly asked for: locally sourced solutions to one of the most real and pressing issues facing our Borough.

I find myself almost immediately disappointed by the actions of the new conservative majority of the Assembly via Presiding Officer Lojewski. Community members need to rally and respectfully press that the new Climate Action Committee continue to work towards a Climate Action Plan that serves our community.

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If you’re looking to be part of the solution, let me know here in the comments. Fairbanks Climate Action Coalition has already put together a petition around the Borough Climate Action Committee and plan that you can sign here.