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Caribou migrating through Arctic National Wildlife Refuge
ANCHORAGE, ALASKA

Defenders Slams Lease Sale in Arctic Refuge

The Bureau of Land Management today opened nine bids on five tracts regarding an oil and gas lease sale on the Coastal Plain of the
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curled up arctic fox
Washington, D.C.

Senate Votes to Prioritize Oil Over Arctic Conservation

The United States Senate today approved resolutions under the Congressional Review Act to overturn previous Biden administration protections for the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, clearing the way for expanded oil and gas drilling.
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Polar bear on beaufort sea ice
Washington, DC

Trump Proposal Puts America’s Most Vulnerable and Valuable Coastal Resources in the Crosshairs

Protected areas across United States coasts are in the sights of a new oil and gas drilling proposal released on Thursday by the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management.

More Polar Bear Press Releases

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Polar Bears
Washington, DC

Trump Administration Attempt to Sell Out the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge Flops

Today’s lease sale for the coastal plain of Arctic National Wildlife Refuge continues the Trump administration’s destructive attack on our nation’s public lands and wildlife. Today, three entities were identified as the successful bidders on 11 tracts, yielding a paltry $7 million to the federal treasury because the state of Alaska receives half of the sale price of $14 million. The failed lease sale underscores a lack of interest in developing the Arctic refuge and sets up an incoming Biden administration to reverse course to permanently protect the refuge.
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Polar Bear
Anchorage, AK

Bureau of Land Management Finalizes Western Arctic Drilling Plan

Today, the Bureau of Land Management released the Record of Decision for a revised Integrated Activity Plan for the 22 million-acre National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska (Reserve), located in the state’s Western Arctic region.
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Polar Bears
Anchorage, AK

Groups rush to court to stop ConocoPhillips’ Willow project winter road construction and gravel mining

Sovereign Iñupiat for a Living Arctic and five allied groups filed a motion in the U.S. District Court today requesting a preliminary injunction and temporary restraining order to stop ConocoPhillips from starting winter road construction and gravel mining for its Willow project.
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Polar Bear family, Churchill, Manitoba
Anchorage, AK

Indigenous, allied groups go to court to stop issuance of Arctic Refuge leases

The Gwich’in Steering Committee and 12 allied groups filed a motion in U.S. District Court today requesting a preliminary injunction to stop the U.S. Bureau of Land Management from issuing any leases sold in the Jan. 6 sale of the coastal plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, and from authorizing seismic exploration activities.
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A young polar bear walks down the rocky coast towards the water in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, Alaska.
Anchorage, AK

Bureau of Land Management Racing to Permit Destructive Seismic Exploration in Arctic Refuge

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) issued a draft environmental assessment (EA) today regarding a seismic exploration project proposed in Arctic National Wildlife Refuge this winter.
Senior Vice President, External Affairs
lsheehan@defenders.org
(202) 772-3244
Communications Director
mdewane@defenders.org
(202) 772-0217
Communications Specialist
jcovey@defenders.org
Communications Specialist
kirby@defenders.org
(202) 772-3268
Communications Specialist
estern@defenders.org
202-772-0243