John,
The Western Arctic Reserve, aka the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska, encompasses a striking mosaic of landscapes, from frozen tundra and boreal forests to lakes, rivers, and other wetlands. It's home to awe-inspiring wildlife like caribou herds, polar bears, and millions of migratory birds.
But the Arctic is feeling the heat. Warming four times faster than the rest of the planet, the Arctic is vulnerable to consequences like rapidly thawing permafrost — a ticking time bomb that could release massive amounts of greenhouse gas into the atmosphere.
Protecting the Western Arctic Reserve means stopping climate-killing oil projects, and now’s your chance to help.
The U.S. Bureau of Land Management is considering protecting some additional areas of the reserve from oil drilling. That means any parts that aren't protected will still be under threat from oil extraction, like the massive Willow project.
Neither the Arctic nor the climate can take more fossil fuel development. Wildlife can't either: Oil drilling will only continue to threaten animals like the Western Arctic caribou herd, which has the longest land migration in the world. These caribou need healthy habitat in the reserve to mate and raise their young.
The Western Arctic Reserve should stay intact, wild, and free from exploitation.
Tell the BLM to protect every fragile, precious acre by making it all off limits to oil drilling.
