The following is the Oct. 25, 2018 Congressional Research Service report, Changes in the Arctic: Background and Issues for Congress.
The diminishment of Arctic sea ice has led to increased human activities in the Arctic, and has heightened interest in, and concerns about, the region’s future. The United States, by virtue of Alaska, is an Arctic country and has substantial interests in the region.
Record low extents of Arctic sea ice over the past decade have focused scientific and policy...
https://news.usni.org/2018/11/02/report-congress-changes-arctic-2