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New Threat to America’s Arctic Refuge

Called "America's Serengeti" for its tremendous biological productivity and diversity, the coastal plain of Arctic National Wildlife Refuge is one of the most intact and untouched ecosystems in America. The refuge is home to 42 mammal species, including more than 120,000 head of caribou; 36 species of fish; and over 160 species of birds. Although much of Alaska remains open to oil and gas drilling, oil and gas interests continue to lobby hard to drill in the refuge. "Directional drilling" is their latest ploy to open this pristine wilderness to oil and gas development. Read more about the Arctic refuge and Audubon’s position.

Urge your Senators to protect the Arctic Refuge and oppose S 503, which would allow oil and gas exploration and directional drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. S 503 would allow damaging seismic exploration and exploratory drilling within the coastal plain of the Arctic Refuge--the biological heart of the Refuge. Furthermore, the bill encourages full-scale development along the land and coastal borders of the Refuge. Horizontal wells require the same infrastructure and have the same environmental impacts as conventional wells--including busy airports, permanent gravel roads, and pipelines. As documented by the National Academy of Sciences, the impacts of development extend far beyond the direct footprint or the place where the drill touches the ground. The bill waives key environmental laws. Currently the Arctic Refuge is protected and managed as a National Wildlife Refuge. S 503 would remove the most important legal safeguards for these sensitive wild lands by waiving the protections of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and the National Wildlife Refuge Administration Act, setting a dangerous precedent for the management of our public lands.