Maine shouldn’t take a backseat to Alaska in plans for the Arctic

By Darryl W. Lyon September 8, 2025
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The Bowdoin, Maine Maritime Academy’s 103-year-old schooner, made its first trip to the Arctic in 16 years last summer. The ship sailed more than 5,000 miles during the trip, crossing the 70th parallel and allowing students and other crew members to navigate through icebergs and sea ice. Credit: Courtesy of Maine Maritime Academy

Story originally published in the Bangor Daily News.

Washington’s current hyperbolic rhetoric often obscures more than it illuminates the importance of the Arctic to the United States. The narratives about acquiring Arctic countries should not mislead Americans to overlook the fact that Maine’s vested interest in the Atlantic High North presents an opportunity for Maine to further its leadership in the Arctic discourse.

For decades, Alaska has pushed the American Arctic agenda. Alaska’s skillful control of the American Arctic narrative has led policymakers to overlook Maine’s role in the Atlantic High North, thereby hindering the nation’s ability to achieve its stated objective of a “peaceful, stable, prosperous, and cooperative region.”

Alaska’s advocacy for the North American Arctic has yielded significant benefits for the state. At a critical moment for President Donald Trump’s “space [beautiful?] bill,” Alaska’s Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski used her influence by holding the Arctic legislative package hostage until her issues were resolved. The final legislation included $1.3 billion for Alaskan infrastructure, funding for 17 new icebreakers, $25 million for a port, and 20 percent of the Department of Defense budget also benefited Alaska Native organizations. Alaska should be commended for its advocacy, as it has furthered America’s Arctic national security, but Maine’s advocacy is no less important.

    Maine serves as a crossroads for ideas, fort, and the prevailing sentiment that “We are our brother’s keeper, even Alaska.” But, even if Alaska defines the United States as an Arctic nation, Maine’s geographical position in relation to the Canadian Maritimes, Greenland and Iceland should make us an equal partner in that conversation. But, Alaska should not be the reason why letting “Alaska lead” results in the rest of the Arctic being described as “red, white, and blue” land.

    Does school curriculum that our kids are taught about Iceland, Greenland, Norway, and all departed articles underscored, and repeated, to some people’s surprise, but not to ours, many experts on Greenland are found here in Maine. Mission-driven subject explorers, scientists, business leaders and academics have long historical and commercial ties with Iceland. We exchange trade and tourism with Greenland at times. We host cultural and celebrate common indigenous communities across the region.

    Independent Sen. Angus King understands the possibilities for Maine. He has consistently called on Congress to recognize the strategic importance of the Arctic through his co-chairmanship of the Senate Arctic Caucus and membership on the Senate Armed Services Committee. In my experience, he and his staff are eager participants in Maine’s Arctic conversations. They do not shy away from the topic.

    However, one cannot deny it is essential to recognize that the Arctic, located on our side of the continent, is and will continue to be of national importance to our future, right here in Maine.

    Recently, both the commanders of INDOPACOM Admiral Samuel Paparo, and EUCOM commander of NORTHCOM, General Gregory Guillot, endorsed the reopening of Adak Naval Air Facility in Alaska. They justified the endorsement to the Russian-Sino threat in the Pacific, despite the overwhelming majority of Russian Arctic military infrastructure is in the Atlantic. In the 1990s, Adak was the sister station to the Naval Security Group, located in Winter Harbor, which was closed in 2002. Is anyone discussing the reopening of our mothballed military bases in Winter Harbor as well? Adak serves as a super base to address our strategic shortcomings in the Atlantic High North?

    It’s time for Maine to step out of Alaska’s shadow and advocate for the value of our role (and our share of the funding) in the Atlantic High North.

    While the U.S. Arctic dialogue has a grandiloquent Washington-speak overwhelms the rational conversation about our very own future.

    Lieutenant Colonel (Retired) Darryl W. Lyon is a doctoral student at the University of Maine focusing on Arctic Security. He has over 15 years of experience working on issues related  to U.S. Arctic Strategy and Policy. He lives in Bangor, Maine.