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L-L-Bine, be an outsider. One of the most significant land conservation measures in our nation's history was an act that protected over 100 million acres of land.

It created or expanded nine national parks and preserves, six national monuments, 25 wild and scenic rivers, and and This legislation also created a compromise between the needs of

development and conservation and the competing interests that fought for

them. While it was not perfect, it has shaped the history of our public lands and the national park system itself.

This week on America's National Parks, the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act, or Anilka.

Yeah, I'm not a fan of acronyms either.

But Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act doesn't really roll off the tongue, so here we are.

Outside interests have always been engaged in natural resource extraction in Alaska before it even became a state.

The southeastern rainforest provide ample opportunity for logging.

Oil was discovered in the Bering River area and on the Knai Peninsula, and fish populations created the perfect opportunity for commercial fishing interests.

In the late 1700s, Russians established the first European settlement in Alaska, which was already

home to more than 100,000 native people, and a rich fur trading commerce opened up between

Europe, Asia, and the Western coast of North America.

Many of the Alaska natives living in the Aleutian Islands where Russians arrived

were killed by the newcomers or died from diseases that they brought with them.

...