For nearly 60 years, the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge has been protected habitat for polar bears and other important wildlife. Now, President Trump and Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke are working furiously to open this critical habitat to dirty and destructive oil drilling. We only have until June 19th to urge Trump's administration to abandon this plan, so please take action immediately.
More than 75 percent of the coastal plain of the Arctic Refuge is designated critical habitat for endangered polar bears. The coastal plain is the most important onshore denning habitat for polar bears in the United States.
In addition to polar bears, the Arctic Refuge has sustained the Gwich'in peoples for thousands of years. The Refuge's coastal plain provides vital habitat for the Porcupine Caribou Herd, which use the unique ecosystem to bear and rear their young. The Gwich'in people call the coastal plain "The Sacred Place Where Life Begins." Protecting the caribou is a matter of basic human rights for the Gwich'in.
There are some places too important to drill - demand the Trump administration recognize how critical the Arctic Refuge is to native people and endangered wildlife and drop this reckless and short-sighted plan immediately.
