The public, conservation and Indigenous groups call on Biden administration to not move forward with permitting ConocoPhillips’ Willow project in Alaska’s Western Arctic

No single imminent oil and gas project on federal public land has the potential to set back the Biden’s administration’s climate and public lands goals more than ConocoPhillips’ Willow project.

Washington, D.C.

Today, more than 200,000 comments from throughout Alaska and across the country were submitted to the U.S. Interior Department and Bureau of Land Management opposing the Willow oil and gas project and calling on President Biden to protect the Western Arctic. In addition, 140+ organizations submitted a letter directly to Interior Secretary Deb Haaland opposing the project, noting that the “reassessment of and response to this damaging proposal will be a significant test of this administration’s commitment to bringing the management of our nation’s public lands into line with the urgent need to combat the climate crisis and your goal to preserve 30 percent of our nation’s public lands by 2030.”
 
Defenders of Wildlife joined with Alaska Wilderness League, Audubon Alaska, Conservation Lands Foundation, Earthjustice, Environment America, Evergreen Action, Friends of the Earth, League of Conservation Voters, Northern Alaska Environmental Center, Trustees for Alaska, and the Wilderness Society to release the following statement as the project scoping period comes to a close:
 
“No single imminent oil and gas project on federal public land has the potential to set back the Biden’s administration’s climate and public lands goals more than ConocoPhillips’ Willow project. Willow is estimated to add more than 260 million metric tons of CO2 to the atmosphere over the next 30 years, equivalent to the annual emissions from one-third of U.S. coal-fired power plants or 56 million vehicles. It will be next to impossible to achieve the president’s climate goals if this project and the additional development it will spur moves forward.”
 
“Willow’s climate impact will be amplified by its location in Alaska’s Western Arctic, the cultural homeland and subsistence area for many Alaska Native communities that rely on the region’s lands, wildlife, and clean water. The project will have significant impacts in particular on the Teshekpuk Lake Special Area, one of the most productive wetland complexes in the Arctic and important calving grounds for the Teshekpuk Lake caribou herd, a significant subsistence and food security resource for communities on the North Slope. Willow presents both near-term and long-term threats to subsistence resources in a region already on the front lines of climate change. Jeopardizing Western Arctic ecosystems will put all of its inhabitants at risk.”

Image
Caribou on tundra in NPR-A
Bob Wick/BLM

For over 75 years, Defenders of Wildlife has remained dedicated to protecting all native animals and plants in their natural communities. With a nationwide network of nearly 2.1 million members and activists, Defenders of Wildlife is a leading advocate for innovative solutions to safeguard our wildlife for generations to come. To learn more, please visit https://defenders.org/newsroom or follow us on X @Defenders.

  

Media Contact

Senior Vice President, External Affairs
lsheehan@defenders.org
202-772-3244

Related

Image
Northern Lights Over Brooks Range Alaska
Image
Polar bear with cubs
Image
Caribou in Denali

News

Image
2022.06.12 - Female Caribou - Teshekpuk Lake - Alaska - Ashley Sabatino-BLM.jpg
WASHINGTON, D.C.

Defenders applauds BLM’s move to maintain land protections in Alaska

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) today released its final review and proposal to retain environmental protections on 28 million acres of habitat critical to
Image
Gray Wolf Stare
Washington, DC

Defenders Statement on ‘Hatchet Job’ House Interior Appropriations Bill

The U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Appropriations’ Interior and Environment Subcommittee today released its appropriations bill for the upcoming fiscal year. The bill is riddled with an immense number of riders that severely undermine the lifesaving protections of the Endangered Species Act. It also rolls back key advances made during the Biden administration towards addressing the biodiversity and climate crises.