Arctic National Wildlife Refuge

 

A National Treasure

Protection of the coastal plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge has been among the highest priorities for the national environmental community for more than two decades.   The complete range of arctic and sub-arctic landscapes protected in the refuge are unique: from America's northernmost forest, to the peaks and glaciers of the Brooks Range, to the rolling tundra, lagoons and barrier islands of the coastal plain.  No other conservation area in the circumpolar north has such abundant and diverse wildlife, including rare musk oxen, polar bears, grizzlies, wolves, and millions of migratory birds.  The refuge is also the annual gathering point for more than 120,000 caribou -- animals central to the culture and sustenance of the Gwich'in Athabaskan people of northeast Alaska and northwest Canada.

 

Drilling in the Refuge Won't Help Our Energy Problems
The Bush Administration and Big Oil argue that tapping the Arctic Refuge's oil resources will help lower gasoline prices and reduce reliance on foreign oil. However, a report from the Department of Energy (PDF) concluded that drilling in the Refuge wouldn't lower prices at the pump in the short term, and at peak production, would only save consumers a penny a gallon by 2025. By contrast, modest improvements in vehicle fuel efficiency would save far more oil than the refuge could ever yield.

 

Status of the Arctic Refuge

The Arctic Refuge was put at greater risk over the last few years as proponents of drilling attempted one sneak attack after another.  Fortunately, pro-environment Republicans in Congress repeatedly stood with most Democrats to defeat these backhanded maneuvers and ensure that the Arctic Refuge remains protected.  The good news is that the 110^th Congress is far more pro-environment than those of previous years, and the threats to the refuge have subsided.  LCV and other organizations are urging members of the House of Representatives to support permanent protection for the Arctic Refuge by cosponsoring H.R. 39, the Udall-Eisenhower Arctic Wilderness bill.