The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge spans over 19 million acres, a third of which is designated as pristine Alaskan wilderness and is a habitat for polar bears and dozens of other species. Hundreds of thousands of porcupine caribou, native to Alaska, migrate each year through the Coastal Plain. (1) The Arctic Refuge is an incredible example of America’s natural legacy and is a symbol to the world that the United States has historically been one of the great stewards of the wilderness. 

However, that legacy may soon be tarnished by greed and profit. On Nov. 16, the House of Representatives passed the first version of the tax bill, which did not include anything regarding the Arctic Refuge. A week later, Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) added a provision to the Senate version of the Tax Bill that essentially opens the Arctic Refuge’s Coastal Plain to oil and gas drilling through an auction of lease sales. 

The resulting profit would cover only a fraction of the deficit that will result from the deep tax cuts that congressional leaders are proposing. The Coastal Plain is an ecological center for the wildlife that lives in the Arctic Refuge. Selling off these lands to oil and gas corporations to support tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans makes little economic sense and endangers a national treasure, which will never be able to be replaced once it is gone.

On Dec. 2, the Senate passed its version of the tax bill, which included Senator Murkowski’s Arctic Refuge provision. In a process called “Reconciliation,” representatives from each congressional chamber have been tasked with reconciling differences between the House and Senate versions. Once complete, this compromise bill will return to the House of Representatives for a vote. Unfortunately, reports say that the Arctic Refuge provision will be included in the “reconciled” bill.

The Arctic Refuge has been imperiled before, but the decision to open the Coastal Plain is a deeply unpopular one. Environmental groups and conservationists across the country are critical of the tax bill, in part because of this provision.

Collin O’Mara, President and CEO of the National Wildlife Federation, of which PennFuture is a state affiliate, is one of those leaders who has worked to mobilize action on behalf of preserving this habitat for so many species of animals. 

“Drilling in the arctic will forever scar one of the remaining truly wild places on earth with a maze of well pads, roads, and pipelines. Destroying critical habitat for imperiled polar bears, porcupine caribou, and musk oxen, not for national security reasons, but for short-term tax breaks that benefit the few, is simply wrong. Some places are too special to drill. We urge members of Congress to defend the Arctic,” O’Mara said.

The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge is a wildlife refuge first and foremost. It should remain fully protected for the many generations to come.

Use the social media graphic at the top of this page on Facebook or Twitter to tell our representatives that we must continue to defend the Arctic! Use #ProtectTheArctic or #NotADrill and raise your voice.

(1) https://www.nwf.org/Magazines/National-Wildlife/2017/Oct-Nov/Conservation/Alaska-Anniversary