Written by Bruce Bustamante

To the Anchorage Community,

The Anchorage Chamber of Commerce will continue to support businesses as they deal with this pandemic. Over the last 18 months, it has become clear that the health of our community and our economy is dependent on our ability to keep COVID-19 at bay. To that end, the Chamber will continue to encourage vaccinations and adherence to public health measures including the latest CDC guidelines about masks and physical distancing.

However, it is clear what we are doing is not working well. Healthcare workers and facilities are taxed, case counts are concerning, and too many of our friends, family and business community have been impacted.

While businesses are divided about use of masks and vaccine requirements, the Chamber will advocate for the rights of businesses to set COVID-19 protocols for the safety of their staff and clientele—and we encourage our community to respect those protocols by following posted requirements while on their premises. We also recognize the right of the individual to choose where to do business.

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August 2026

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While there are different opinions about how to best mitigate the impact to businesses and our community, we encourage everyone to stay informed and take actions they deem appropriate to protect themselves, their families, employees, clients, businesses, and the public at large. Regardless of your stance, the Chamber does not and will not condone or tolerate any divisive or offensive activity. We must work through our differences in a respectful and inclusive manner.

Anchorage is a strong community with an even brighter future. As we deal with this pandemic, the health of our community and our economy is dependent on our ability to work through our differences in a respectful manner, and to mitigate COVID-19 through vaccination and continued adherence to common sense public health measures.

Sincerely,

Bruce Bustamante
President & CEO
Anchorage Chamber of Commerce

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New Oil on the North Slope

August 2026

In mid-May it was 19°F and windy at the Aurora Hotel in Deadhorse. As I stood in the parking lot surveying the surroundings, I chatted with a gentleman from Texas who works for Nabors Alaska Drilling and was in town as part of a crew tasked with getting a previously inactive drill rig up and running. He said that, according to his supervisor, spring is the windy season on the North Slope. The gusts were bracing, numbing the fingers holding my camera, but most of my attention was focused on what I could capture through the lens: work trucks, shipping containers, buildings obscured by snow whipped up by the wind.

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