Turning the coastal plain into an oilfield will obliterate the pristine wilderness of the Arctic Refuge, directly threatening the future of the Porcupine caribou herd and the physical, cultural and spiritual existence of the Gwich’in people who depend on them. Defenders again calls on Congress to repeal this deeply misguided mandate that threatens an iconic American landscape

Nicole Whittington-Evans, Alaska senior program director for Defenders of Wildlife.

Defenders of Wildlife released the following statement today on the Department of the Interior’s final Coastal Plain Oil and Gas Leasing Program, which follows the release of its final supplemental review. The Record of Decision makes available at least 400,000 acres of the 1.6-million-acre coastal plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. The lease sale will take place on January 9, 2025.

“Turning the coastal plain into an oilfield will obliterate the pristine wilderness of the Arctic Refuge, directly threatening the future of the Porcupine caribou herd and the physical, cultural and spiritual existence of the Gwich’in people who depend on them,” said Nicole Whittington-Evans, Alaska senior program director for Defenders of Wildlife. “Defenders again calls on Congress to repeal this deeply misguided  mandate that threatens an iconic American landscape.”

The 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act mandated the first-ever oil and gas lease sales in the Refuge for 2021 and 2024. The first sale was unsuccessful, generating no interest from the oil industry and less than 1% of projected sale revenue. The few leases sold were either relinquished by the purchasers or canceled by the Biden administration. 

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.  

 

Media Contact

Jacqueline Covey
Jacqueline Covey
Communications Specialist
jcovey@defenders.org

News

Porcupine caribou making its way through deep snow on the East Fork of the Chandalar River
WASHINGTON, D.C.

Enough is Enough: Senate Blocks Yet Another Attempt to Prioritize Drilling in the Arctic

The Senate today blocked an attempt to pass S. 5438, introduced by Senator Dan Sullivan (R-AK). The bill would have ratified and approved all authorizations, permits, verifications, extensions, biological opinions, incidental take statements and any other approvals or orders issued pursuant to federal law necessary for the establishment and administration of the Coastal Plain oil and gas leasing program, among other purposes.
Juvenile California Condor
WASHINGTON, D.C.

Senate Permitting Deal Threatens Bedrock Endangered Species Protections

Defenders of Wildlife today strongly condemned Endangered Species Act provisions reportedly included in a Senate permitting package, warning they would weaken critical protections for imperiled wildlife.
Visit the newsroom