Protect the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge Once and For All!
Called 'America's Serengeti' for its tremendous biodiversity, the coastal plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge is one of the most pristine, vibrant, and untouched ecosystems in America. The coastal plain hosts over 150 species of birds, as well as polar bears, musk oxen, wolves, and more than 197,000 caribou during the calving season. Unfortunately, this unparalleled 1.5-million-acre habitat has never received Wilderness protection, leaving it vulnerable to harmful oil and gas development.
This year, as we celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Wilderness Act, which has saved some of our most incredible landscapes, please ask President Obama to recommend a Wilderness designation for the coastal plain to help protect this extraordinary place once and for all.
Dear President Obama, On this 50th anniversary of the Wilderness Act, we urge your Administration to recommend that the coastal plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge be designated as Wilderness, and to pass that recommendation on to Congress, in order to help protect this incredible place once and for all. The Arctic Refuge is a unique, intact ecosystem that supports an extraordinary diversity of wildlife, and the coastal plain is its biological heart. Here, birds from all fifty states and six continents converge to nest in this rich habitat. One of the world's largest caribou herds travels 1,500 miles to the coastal plain for calving. Polar bears, musk oxen, and wolves roam the tundra, and over 40 species of fish swim in its pristine lakes and rivers. The continual prospect of oil drilling threatens to cause irreversible damage to the Refuge. Drilling would create a spiderweb of infrastructure that will eliminate habitat, lead to cumulative impacts to birds and other wildlife, create a significant risk of a devastating oil spill, and contribute to climate change, which will only further harm the fragile tundra. The Arctic Refuge is truly a special place. I urge you to recommend a Wilderness designation for the coastal plain in order to help end these persistent threats and to allow the Refuge to continue to be a sanctuary for wildlife. [Your comment here] Sincerely, [Your name here]
