A Grand Vision for Alaska: Forty-Five Years of Public Lands Protections

Join the Alaska Conservation Foundation and the Belfer Center's Arctic Initiative for a special conversation with Fran Ulmer, Pat Pourchot, and John Leshy, marking the 45th anniversary of the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act (ANILCA). This timely webinar brings together two Lifetime Conservation Achievement award honorees and a professor emeritus of the University of California Law School to share their firsthand experiences, deep knowledge, and unique perspectives on the history, significance, and ongoing challenges of ANILCA. With today’s public lands facing increasing threats, this discussion offers both a reflection on past achievements and an exploration of the path forward in protecting and stewarding these irreplaceable landscapes. This timely webinar brings together three leading experts whose careers have shaped U.S. public lands and Arctic policy.

Our panel includes: John Leshy, Professor Emeritus at UC College of the Law, former Solicitor of the Department of the Interior, and author of the acclaimed book Our Common Ground: A Political History of America's Public Lands (Yale, 2022). Fran Ulmer, who has spent five decades defending Alaska's lands and Arctic ecosystems, serving as Lieutenant Governor and advancing Arctic policy through roles at Harvard, Stanford, and the Arctic Council. Pat Pourchot, who came to Alaska in 1972 to study rivers for potential wild and scenic designation—work that helped shape ANILCA—and later served as Special Assistant to the Secretary of the Interior for Alaska Affairs.