John,
The Western Arctic Reserve, aka the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska, encompasses a striking mosaic of landscapes, from Arctic tundra and boreal forest to wetlands and waterways. What’s more, it’s home to awe-inspiring and iconic wildlife, including polar bears and caribou herds.
This one-of-a-kind place must be protected — for good.
President Biden recently proposed continuing to allow new oil and gas extraction on more than half of the reserve, while celebrating protections for the other half. This is no victory. The proposal threatens the entire reserve by allowing the construction of a vast network of roads, pipelines and drilling platforms — all of which will help lock in decades of fossil fuel emissions when we should be phasing out fossil fuels.
The proposed rules also come on the heels of the Biden administration’s approval of the disastrous and dangerous project known as Willow, a ConocoPhillips oil development in the reserve.
The Arctic can’t withstand more oil and gas development. Urge the Biden administration to take bold action to keep the Western Arctic wild and free.
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