Alaska's western Arctic encompasses a vast, wild stretch of land called the National Petroleum Reserve – Alaska. At 23 million acres it is the largest single unit of public land in the nation. That's about the same size as the entire state of Indiana!
When you hear the name, National Petroleum Reserve – Alaska (NPR-A, or Reserve), you might think of a barren land filled with oil wells and industrial equipment, but the vast majority of the Reserve actually remains free of industrial development and provides necessary habitats and resources for an incredible array of wildlife and indigenous peoples who have lived and thrived in this landscape since time immemorial.
Defenders of Wildlife's new ArcGIS Storymap illustrates why the NPR-A is important to wildlife.
For nearly 80 years, Defenders of Wildlife has worked to protect and restore America’s wildlife at risk of extinction, advancing a vision of a future in which wildlife thrives, sustained by broad public support and a resilient network of healthy lands and waters. With a network of more than 2 million supporters, Defenders is an advocate for innovative solutions to safeguard wildlife for generations to come. To learn more, please visit https://defenders.org/newsroom or follow us on Instagram @defendersofwildlife.
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