A court ruling greenlighting the transfer of nearly 1.4 million acres of federal land to the state of Alaska for mining and other development is being appealed by 10 environmental groups challenging the move.
The groups, led by the Northern Alaska Environmental Center, on Wednesday filed a notice of appeal in the US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. Judge Aaron Christian Peterson of the US District Court for the District of Alaska on July 24 partially dismissed their suit challenging a land transfer planned to total 2.1 million acres.
The transfer is intended to allow Alaska to develop …