The House and Senate are not in session today.

16 Companies Express Interest in North Slope Natural Gas Project, Including GVEA, Fairbanks Natural Gas and New Borough Gas Utility. As part of Gov. Sean Parnell's Plan to help get a North Slope gas plant built, the state asked for letters of interest a month ago. Sixteen entities responded with a mixture of general statements and detailed plans. GVEA, Fairbanks Natural Gas and a company headed by Ray Latchem, who built Fairbanks Natural Gas, are among the companies that submitted plans. Fairbanks Daily News- Miner

 Federal Judge Vacates Plan Designating Polar Bear Habitat, Says It Went too Far. A federal judge in Alaska has set aside a plan designating more than 187,000 square miles as habitat for threatened polar bears. U.S. District Judge Ralph Beistline said in a written order that the purpose behind the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service designation was admirable, because it is important to protect the polar bear. But he said such protection must be done correctly, and found the current designation went too far and was "too extensive." Washington Post 

Prince William Sound Salmon Forecast: Sockeyes Up, Kings Sink. Preliminary forecasts for Copper River salmon fisheries for 2013 predict a slight increase in sockeye harvests by all user groups, but a plunge in the catch of kings. The forecast issued Jan 2 by the Alaska Department of Fish and Game predicts a run of 2,240,000 reds into the Copper River fishery, up from the forecast of 2,150,000 fish in 2012, with a harvest of 1,500,000 reds, up from 1,430,000 fish in 2012. Alaska Dispatch

Arctic Port Study. The Alaska DOT&PF and the Army Corps of Engineers are co-sponsoring a three-year Alaska Deep Draft Arctic Ports Study to evaluate potential deepwater port locations.  The Arctic coast is experiencing increased vessel traffic, a reason for concern for the State of Alaska and federal agencies. An Alaskan Arctic port would serve as a major infrastructure asset and the northernmost port for the US Coast Guard (USCG), the US Navy, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) in protecting and patrolling an important US coastline. Alaska Department of Transportation

Climate Change May Benefit Most Mammals That Live in Northern Europe's Arctic and Sub-Arctic Land Areas in Short Run. The climate changes depicted by climatologists up to the year 2080 will benefit most mammals that live in northern Europe's Arctic and sub-Arctic land areas today if they are able to reach their new climatic ranges. This is the conclusion drawn by ecologists at Umeå University in a recently published article in the journal PLoS ONE. Science Daily

Kenojuak Ashevak, Artist From the Canadian Arctic, Dies at 85. Kenojuak Ashevak, a once-nomadic artist from Canada's Arctic regions whose prints and drawings helped introduce Inuit art to much of the world, died on Tuesday at her home in Cape Dorset on West Baffin Island in the northern territory of Nunavut. She was 85. The cause was lung cancer, The Canadian Press news agency reported. New York Times

KENAI: Kenai Roadkill a Source of Data for Scientists. It's 1:30 a.m. when Laurie Speakman gets the call. Alaska State Trooper Dispatch tells her another one has been hit and gives her the GPS coordinates. Outside it's probably below zero when she starts the pickup, equip with a flashing siren, a wench and a boom. She dresses in thick clothing while coffee brews and the tuck warms. Then she drives from a warm bed and sleeping husband to pick up another dead moose from another car accident. Anchorage Daily News

Arctic Fisheries Alliance Slams Trawlers for Catching Too Many Immature Fish. The Arctic Fishery Alliance, a group made up of hunters and trappers associations and community trusts from the Qikiqtarjuaq, Grise Fiord, Arctic Bay and Resolute Bay, is concerned about the over-harvest of small, immature turbot by deep sea trawlers operating in Nunavut waters. And they say the issue has been long ignored by authorities. Nunatsiaq Online

EPA Issues Shell Air Pollution Violation Notices. Two Royal Dutch Shell PLC ships operating in the Arctic emitted excessive amounts of air pollution during drilling operations last summer off Alaska's northern coastline, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. The federal agency announced Thursday that it issued Shell notices of air quality violations coming from its drill rig and drill ship during what was a shortened Arctic drilling season of about two months. Shell's drill rig Kulluk and drill ship Noble Discoverer emitted excessive amounts of nitrogen oxide. There were multiple violations for each ship, the agency said. Juneau Empire