Hi All – Welcome the Willow weekly recap for March 3! It’s an understatement to say that we are finishing STRONG, with an eruption of public engagement building in our final push to #StopWillow.

As we continue to go all out until a Record of Decision is announced, THANKS for the outstanding work!

And Friday is far from over!
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If you need a lift and haven’t already seen it, make sure to check out the TikTok Creator Memo – SO MANY MILLIONS OF VIEWS!

This edition features:

· Must Read Stories

· Paid Ads from Alaska to Albuquerque to DC

· Social Round-Up:
Willow TikTok Creator Memo 👀 | Featured Social Posts | Top Engaged Social Posts | New Twitter Analysis

· Action Alert Updates

Reminder: a clearinghouse of info is also included in the Willow Clips Tracker, where you can add items that we might have missed – pls. keep updating when you have new content.

I’ll send amplification recommendations for the new week on Monday, Mar. 6.

ICYMI, here’s the latest from Feb. 27, including updated content.

Must Read Stories:

Associated Press: Biden faces dilemma in fight over large Alaska oil project – “The Biden administration is weighing approval of a major oil project on Alaska’s petroleum-rich North Slope that supporters say represents an economic lifeline for Indigenous communities in the region but environmentalists say is counter to President Joe Biden’s climate goals. A decision on ConocoPhillips Alaska’s Willow project, in a federal oil reserve roughly the size of Indiana, could come by early March.” [Associated Press, 2/28/23]

The Nation: Why More Alaskans Aren’t Fighting a Huge Potential Oil Project on the North Slope – “Once you spend time in this place, it’s clearer why it’s so difficult for Alaska to unwind its economic dependence on oil and gas, and why many political leaders in the state are pushing for developments like the Willow Project, the largest proposed new oil project in the US, despite the fact the climate change is already wreaking havoc here and could get far worse. The Willow Project, which could receive a final determination from the Biden administration as soon as this week, would sit within the North Slope—on the east edge of the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska, the largest piece of federal land in the country. This is hotly contested land because it is both an oil field and a vast wilderness full of migratory birds, bears, and caribou. The new development would pump out about 600 million barrels of oil over 30 years and release about 280 million metric tons of total climate-warming carbon emissions—or the rough equivalent of two and a half coal-fired power plants over the same time period, according to InsideClimate News.” [The Nation, 2/28/23]

The Hill: Does President Biden mean what he says on climate? – “In his recent State of the Union address, President Biden acknowledged the “existential threat” posed by climate change, citing an obligation to our children and grandchildren to confront it. Now, his administration is about to test its fidelity to that obligation. It will soon decide whether to approve a major drilling project in Alaska that could pump 280 million tons of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, derailing the administration’s ability to meet its own climate commitments.” [The Hill, 2/27/23]

Anchorage Daily News: Alaska Legislature unanimously passes resolution in support of Willow oil project – “The Alaska Legislature unanimously passed a resolution in support of the Willow oil development as the Biden administration nears making a decision on the project. The resolution passed the Alaska Senate 19-0 on Monday, and it passed the House 36-0 last week. It supports oil and gas leasing in the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska and urges the Biden administration to approve ConocoPhillips’ $8 billion prospect in the federal reserve.” [Anchorage Daily News, 2/27/23]

Paid Ads:
in-Alaska ads (print and digital) in Anchorage, Fairbanks, and Juneau from SILA, Northern Center and Alaska Wilderness League:

Retweet @alaskawild:
https://twitter.com/alaskawild/status/1631515996098895872

NDN Collective ad in Albuquerque Journal on 3/3/2023

Retweet @ndncollective:
https://twitter.com/ndncollective/status/1631400147929427972