The Trump administration is proposing a 5-year plan that would expand offshore oil and gas drilling to the Atlantic Coast and Arctic Ocean. President Trump’s proposal would replace former President Barack Obama’s 5-year plan, which blocked oil and gas lease sales in these areas. The Atlantic Ocean is the only habitat for the critically endangered North Atlantic right whale. The Arctic Ocean is vital habitat for walruses and threatened polar bears already suffering from the impacts of climate change.
Statement from Former Defenders of Wildlife President and CEO Jamie Rappaport Clark:
“President Trump’s offshore drilling plan is wildly reckless, irresponsible and a sellout to billion-dollar corporations. It throws stewardship of our coastal and ocean waters out the window.
“Offshore drilling is a dirty business. This proposal increases the risk of losing polar bears, walrus, North Atlantic right whales, sea turtles and other vulnerable species to a catastrophic oil spill. But even when there is no major catastrophe, marine wildlife is devastated by routine spills, air pollution, seismic blasting and other fallout from industrial oil and gas development in our oceans. Our natural heritage is not President Trump’s to plunder, and we will fight this reckless proposal in the courts and on Capitol Hill.”
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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