10 ALASKA RESOURCE REVIEW SUMMER 2024 We must continue to engage wide audiences to share our vital roles BY LEILA KIMBRELL, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, RDC AS MENTIONED IN MY WELCOME MESSAGE AT THE BEGINNING OF THIS ISSUE OF ALASKA RESOURCE REVIEW, WE ARE STARTING THIS NEW COLUMN I’M CALLING “TELLING OUR STORY.” My hope is that this standing column highlights the many positive actions and partnerships our industries engage in. I invite you all to share examples for us to highlight in future editions. This is not just to give us a “pat on the back” or a “humble brag.” Rather, I’ve realized that through many meetings, field trips, and site visits around Alaska, there are some great examples of local partnerships and stewardship. There are abundant stories out there that we rarely hear about. We have to change that. I’ve also noticed that our companies don’t always widely share these good stories, of local clean-ups, community giving and selfless partnerships, either because they think the story is already shared or doing so is self-serving. Yet so often I hear “Wow, I didn’t know that about [fill in the blank].” I see so many examples of our industries voluntarily engaged in practices that benefit, balance, and sustain our environment, communities, and minimize footprints. And our companies in Alaska take great pride in their records and community partnerships to ensure a long future of sustainable development. We need to share these good examples and help spur innovation for the future. In April, we started that process for our federal policymakers. RDC, along with a coalition of nine other Alaska trade organizations, hosted the first-ever “Alaska Resources Day” in Washington, D.C. This event came from a recognition that we need a better forum for advocacy at the federal level to tell Alaska’s story. We have great partners with our Alaskan Congressional Delegation, but they alone can’t be our only voice in Washington, particularly in an age of growing and viral social media campaigns that can be difficult to message against. Our inaugural event had a great turnout and was widely attended indicating that not only is there support for this type of advocacy, but also great interest in learning more about Alaska’s resource industries. I am proud RDC was part of initiating this new opportunity for Alaskans to unify and show our strength in numbers in a way only we can do. And in true RDC-fashion, having multiple representatives in one room from our several resource industries, even if we do not always align, sent a powerful and unified message of responsible Alaska resource development. As they say, you have to see it to believe it. Well, believe it, D.C.! And we’re already planning next year’s event. Many thanks to all who were able to participate this year and we look forward to continuing these collective efforts to tell Alaska’s story. Why is this important? When I worked in D.C. several years ago, I often heard the analogy that Alaska should be treated like a “snow globe.” This paints a convenient picture for some, but it is offensive to Alaskans. We aren’t anyone else’s to lock up. But if we aren’t present to tell our story, there is no push back on this narrative. This is why we must continue to engage in uncomfortable spaces, make the long and expensive trek to D.C., and find new ways to tell our story. That’s where you come in and where I need your help. Let’s keep sharing our stories. DO YOU HAVE A STORY TO TELL? PLEASE SHARE IT WITH US AT LEILA@AKRDC.ORG ALASKA RESOURCES DAY HELPS ‘TELL OUR STORY’ Hundreds attended the inaugural Alaska Resources Day in Washington, D.C. SEE MORE PHOTOS ON PAGE 12 -13
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