Arctic National Wildlife Refuge

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KEY FACTS
  • Total Acreage – 19.6 million
  • Coastal Plain Acreage – 1.5 million
  • Original Protection – 1960 under Republican Dwight D. Eisenhower
  • Expanded Protection – 1980 under Jimmy Carter in the Alaska National Interest Land Conservation Act (ANILCA)
  • Most Recent Protection – 2015 under President Obama, USFWS Wilderness recommendation transmitted to Congress of 12.28 million acres
  • Drilling Threats - The Trump administration is aiming for 3D seismic testing as soon as this winter and the first lease sale by 2019
  • Climate Change Impacts - Melting permafrost, altered caribou migration routes, increased forest fires, shrinking lakes
  • Wildlife – Polar bears, 200 species of migratory birds, arctic foxes, black & brown bears, Dall sheep, moose, musk oxen, caribou

The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge is one of the most iconic and pristine landscapes in America. Its 1.5 million-acre coastal plain – the biological heart – is home to more than 250 species that migrate from all 50 states and 6 continents each year. The Porcupine Caribou Herd, a primary subsistence food source for the Indigenous Gwich’in people, migrates hundreds of miles each year to the coastal plain to give birth. Because of this, the Gwich’in refer to the coastal plain as “The Sacred Place Where Life Begins.”

Despite the sacred and wild beauty that survives in the Refuge, the Trump administration is barreling towards a drilling program in its fragile coastal plain. After the passage of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (H.R.1) in December, which included the Arctic Refuge drilling mandate, the administration and supporters in Congress have made it abundantly clear that they intend to rush through public processes this while the political winds are in their favor. Please see below for relevant legislation, talking points, fact sheets, and more on what we're doing to defend the Arctic Refuge.

Fact Sheets | Congressional Letters | Public Letters | Maps | Research & Reports

Recent Legislative Activity

  • H.R. 1, Tax Cuts & Jobs Act
    • The overhaul of the American tax code came with a provision that mandated leasing in the coastal plain of the Arctic Refuge.

Talking Points

  • The reason that Interior is rushing is clear, as Murkowski has been explicit in saying that their intention is to get the leases finalized so that a new administration cannot come in and undo the process. On working with DOI, from E&E: "There is a strong commitment to work with us to get these leases out before the end of this term," Murkowski explained at an Anchorage business meeting. "Because once you get those leases out into the hands of those who can then move forward, it's tougher" for environmentalists to file court challenges against leasing in the Arctic refuge. (Senator Murkowski, 3/12/18).
  • The scars of the 2-D seismic testing completed on the coastal plain in 1984 and 1985 are still visible 30 years later. Modern seismic exploration is done using a 3-D technique that involves a much denser grid of trails – the 1984-85 trails on the coastal plain were approximately four miles apart, while the 3-D seismic trails envisioned here would be a mere 660 feet apart.
  • This is yet another example of Zinke and Trump disregarding indigenous rights and public wishes in the rush to sell out our public lands to oil interests. The Trump administration is reviews across the board. Using a hurried, predetermined plan to complete the EIS within one year and limit it to 150 pages is incompatible with protecting the wilderness and wildlife values of the Refuge or the subsistence needs of the Gwich’in people.
  • The Arctic Refuge is a symbol of what we want for our future- the preservation of a way of life, climate justice and wild places for future generations.

Fact Sheets

Congressional Letters

Public Letters

Maps

Research & Reports

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