Kanuk Ex Rel. Kanuk v. State, Department of Natural Resources

OPINION

MAASSEN, Justice.

I. INTRODUCTION

The appellants in this case are minors from communities across Alaska who claim that the State has violated its duties under the Alaska Constitution and the public trust doctrine by failing to take steps to protect the atmosphere in the face of significant and potentially disastrous climate change. The minors argue that the superior court erred when it dismissed their complaint on grounds that their claims were not justiciable-specif-ically, that the claims involved political questions best answered by other branches of state government. On that basis we…