May 11, 2026 – As military officials continue warning about foreign surveillance efforts targeting Alaska’s strategic defense installations, the Anchorage Assembly is preparing to pass a resolution opposing perimeter fencing at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson. The resolution states the fencing should be more permeable for moose and recreational users.
In recent years, officials and soldiers have described multiple incidents involving Chinese nationals attempting to gain access to military installations in Alaska while posing as tourists. One widely reported case involved a vehicle carrying Chinese citizens speeding through a security checkpoint at Fort Wainwright near Fairbanks, home to Arctic warfare training operations. Authorities stopped the vehicle and discovered a drone inside. The occupants claimed they were simply lost tourists.
Against that backdrop, the Anchorage Assembly is now advancing a resolution criticizing the Air Force’s plan to harden perimeter security at JBER. It’s on the agenda for Tuesday.
The draft resolution urges the Department of the Air Force to abandon its current environmental review and instead prepare a full Environmental Impact Statement for proposed fencing and perimeter security upgrades.
While the Assembly says it supports JBER’s mission, the resolution focuses heavily on the impact that “impassible perimeter fencing” could have on moose migration, wildlife habitat, and public recreation. It specifically asks the military to consider “wildlife-permeable fencing,” engineered wildlife crossings, and sensor-based alternatives instead of continuous hardened fencing.
In other words, while military leaders are increasingly concerned about espionage, drone incursions, and unauthorized access to critical installations in Alaska, Anchorage politicians are lobbying for openings in the fence.
The resolution also argues that the Air Force’s 30-day public comment period is too short and says the project could interfere with hunting, skiing, hiking, fishing, and wildlife viewing on JBER lands.
The Assembly formally asks the Air Force to withdraw its draft “Finding of No Significant Impact,” extend the public review process by at least 60 days, and redesign the project to maintain public recreational access and moose movement corridors.
The proposal reflects a familiar pattern from the Anchorage Assembly: Prioritizing progressive environmental and activist concerns even when dealing with national defense infrastructure.
JBER is not simply another municipal park. It is one of the nation’s most strategically important Arctic military hubs, central to missile defense, air combat readiness, Arctic operations, and homeland defense missions. As tensions with China and Russia continue to rise in the Arctic and Pacific regions, military officials have made clear that protecting sensitive installations is no longer theoretical.
Yet the Assembly resolution reads less like a response to growing security threats and more like a position paper from an environmental advocacy group.
The measure is expected to come before the Assembly early in the meeting Tuesday. Assembly meetings start at 5 pm on the ground floor of the Loussac Library, which is at the corner of Denali Street and 36th Avenue in Anchorage.
13 thoughts on “Anchorage Assembly poised to oppose fence-hardening project at JBER”
Are you saying that JBER is going to make an impenatrable fence on the JBER property line that parallels Muldoon Road?
What is more important protecting moose and bears; or protecting human lives like the ones serving on the Assembly? I don’t see the AKleaders reducing vehicle traffic because between 2025-26 there being 225 moose were killled by vehicles.
We live in heightened stress times and all eyes are looking north to the Arctic. The attention increases the traffic.
Unlike 1950’s the world has long range ballistic missiles it can use and most likely will use if they see a weakness.
These Anchorage y members and mayor act like they never read beyond reading what they need to read to not know enemies want to weaken an area hit the based first.
Japan did that in its attempt to weaken Americans western pacific front by attacking Pearl Harbor. Humans like repeating history, there is nothing that an enemy of America wouldn’t do than taking out JBER.
The aSSembly needs to stay in their lane, sit down, and shut up
Radical leftist extremists, “stay in their lane”?
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The ENTIRE WORLD is their purview, in their minds. Self-righteous and arrogant busybody midwits who believe that they are omniscient and omnipotent, when they could be more wrong.
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How about instead we get the military to build an impenetrable fence around the Ass-embly chambers?
The Assembly needs to be told to pound sand. Except for the Ted Stevens airport, Anchorage would not exist without the military base.
“………The resolution states the fencing should be more permeable for moose and recreational users………”
LOL! This again. JBER isn’t a park. Anchorage has the absolutely gigantic Chugach State Park right there to play in.
Ridiculous position from the ASSembly (again). Its a military base, not a water park. Chugach State Park is 66,000 square acres. Plenty of space for both wildlife and hippies. The base’s security is important.
I think Los Anchorage would be better-served by gophers. Why? Well, it should be clear by now that these partisan, moron, hacks don’t have the brains that God gave to gophers. If this is not the most asinine proposal to roll out of Anchorage’s Assembly—EVER!!—I hope someone shares the tale that tops this.
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Uh oh! Chris Constant just told his twisted sister to ‘hold my beer.’
The stupidity of our ASS**embly NEEDS TO understand that it IS a MILITARY base, not a playground. The moose has always understood and “moved” on.. It’s the foreigners(commie-CHINESE) need to understand they ARE the ones not invited to steal classified information. I just can’t understand the ass-embly not even understanding the high security requirements needed for these days after all the illegals and other uninvited people attempting to kill us.
Erect a Moose sensitive fence around this Assembly, add a padlock, ship it/them to Kiska island.
Let’s be thankful this mob of perverts isn’t in charge of anything important, like border security.
This fence will do nothing to protect JBER as there is already a fence around the portion of JBER with infrastucture. This fences off the area next to Chugach State Park – an important wildlife corridor and a zone that people use for recreation daily. JBER could step up enforcement on days that recreation is not open – and it would save tax payers millions of dollars.
Safety should be our top priority. Did any assembly member ask their constituents? For years I’ve seen hikers go on military land (and not follow the rules by applying for a JBER Outdoors permit) and risk their lives by going into dangerous miliary exercise zones. I’m in favor of a fence. Make it tall!