Protect Polar Bears from Oil and Gas Drilling

Polar bears in Northern Alaska have declined by as much as 40% in recent decades because of impacts from climate change and human development—scientists estimate their numbers are down to about 900. These imperiled bears depend on the coastal plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to give birth to their young, but oil and gas development can destroy their dens and any contact with oil or other industrial chemicals can be fatal.

To protect wildlife that depend on the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge for survival, President Biden is proposing new measures to safeguard against the negative impacts of oil and gas development.

Although President Biden canceled the existing oil and gas leases, the Tax Act signed by President Trump in 2017 requires a sale of new leases in the refuge by the end of next year. We must ensure that the new leasing program has as little impact on wildlife as possible.

The Arctic refuge is one of the last truly wild places on earth where polar bears can make their dens and give birth without disturbance. It supports the greatest variety of plant and animal life in the Arctic, including polar bears, the porcupine caribou herd, Dall's sheep, muskoxen and nearly 200 species of migratory birds.

We need the strongest protections possible to safeguard polar bears, caribou, and the many other species that live in the refuge.

Sign today and let the Biden Administration know that you want to see these iconic species protected from destructive oil and gas development in the wildlife refuge.
Dear Director Stone-Manning,

I first want to commend you and President Biden for canceling the remaining oil and gas leases in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. It is an important first step in protecting the Gwich'in People, polar bears, caribou, and other iconic wildlife that live on the coastal plain.

I am writing today in response to your draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS) for the refuge leasing program. I urge you to fully consider the impacts that any future oil and gas development would have on the Gwich'in People and the wildlife that make their home in the refuge. While the draft SEIS has made some improvements in protecting the refuge, it is not enough. Further protections must be put in place to safeguard this sacred place.

For instance, the SEIS does not acknowledge the cultural harms that would be inflicted on the Gwich'in People if the oil and gas leasing program goes forward. It also does not grant strong enough protections for the porcupine caribou herd that the Gwich'in Nation relies upon for cultural survival and food security.

It is imperative that the SEIS evaluate all aspects of potential oil and gas impacts to lands, water, wildlife, communities, and climate in this sacred area – both now and into the future.

Sincerely,

[Name]
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