We have until November 21 to submit an official comment telling the Trump administration: the Arctic should be protected, not drilled for oil and gas. [ [link removed] ]

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Dear Friend,

Opening vast tracts of public lands in the Arctic to drilling was a priority of the first Trump administration – and is again rising to the top of the agenda, even as the federal government remains shut down and residents in western Alaska contend with the aftermath of Typhoon Halong which devastated several coastal communities and caused mass evacuations.

Attempting to make good on its promises to sacrifice Alaska’s vast irreplaceable landscapes for drilling, mining, and logging, the Trump administration has decided to prioritize fossil fuel industry wishes by recklessly moving to open more than 18-million acres in the Western Arctic to oil and gas development.

The administration is now asking for comments on which areas of the Western Arctic it should lease this winter to fossil fuel companies for drilling. We need to officially register our overwhelming opposition and say: the Arctic should be protected, not drilled for oil and gas.

The Western Arctic is the nation’s largest intact tract of public land. It covers 23 million acres of diverse habitats, ranging from tundra and wetlands to mountain foothills, grassy uplands, riparian areas, and river deltas.

It is a place of staggering beauty and a globally significant ecosystem that supports countless species, from migratory birds to caribou, and polar bears. It is also home to Indigenous communities who have stewarded the land for millennia.

The Western Arctic also plays a critical role in stabilizing our climate: its permafrost stores vast amounts of carbon, and its reflective sea ice helps cool the planet.

Protecting this region is essential not only for preserving biodiversity, but also for slowing global warming and avoiding the worst impacts of climate change.

Earthjustice has long defended these regions from harmful oil and gas exploration and development — and will continue to do so amid these increased threats.

Proposals to open the Western Arctic are only the beginning. This is the first step in the Trump administration’s unprecedented push to maximize oil and gas drilling in Alaska by leasing even more ecologically sensitive lands and waters to the highest-bidding fossil fuel company.

Right now, the federal government has actual emergencies it should be prioritizing. Giving away public land to drill for unneeded oil isn’t one of them.

Sincerely,
Jeremy Lieb

We have until November 21 to submit an official comment telling the Trump administration: the Arctic should be protected, not drilled for oil and gas. [ [link removed] ]

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