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Arctic National Wildlife Refuge
At 19 million acres, the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge is the largest land-based unit of the National Wildlife Refuge System. It is also one of the last intact landscapes in America. Established in 1960 to protect its extraordinary wildlife, wilderness, and recreational qualities, the Arctic Refuge is a place where natural processes remain mostly uninfluenced by humans.
From the Yukon River basin to the Beaufort Sea, the Arctic Refuge supports a remarkable array of wildlife including arctic foxes, grizzly bears, muskoxen, Dall sheep, wolves and wolverines. Its coastal plain is the most important onshore denning habitat for America’s vanishing polar bears, as well as the calving ground of the Porcupine caribou herd on which the native Gwich’in people have depended for thousands of years. And, each year, millions of birds from six continents and every state in the U.S. make their way to this special place.
But for all its unique beauty, the Arctic Refuge is under assault. The oil industry and its political allies continue to launch attacks to open this national treasure to destructive oil and gas drilling, while climate change threatens to disrupt its habitats faster than wildlife can adapt. Defenders is committed to protecting the Arctic Refuge and the wildlife that calls this remarkable place home.
New Conservation Plan for the Arctic Refuge
On August 15, 2011, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service released the draft comprehensive conservation plan (CCP) for the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. This long-term plan, expected to be finalized in late 2012, will guide all aspects of the refuge’s management. Defenders is working to make sure this long-term management plan keeps the refuge and its wildlife healthy and protected for years to come.
Watch the video above to see Defenders’ Julie Kates discuss the draft CCP and what it means for the future of the Arctic Refuge.
Read Defenders' June 2010 scoping comments.
Read the blog post.
Read the draft CCP.
Featured Publications
Climate Change and the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge: Which Species are Most at Risk?
Using an analytical tool developed by NatureServe, Defenders determined which mammals in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge are the most vulnerable to climate change, and what we can do to protect them.
Learn moreGet the facts about the impacts of drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge on wildlife and learn more about Defenders of Wildlife's positions on energy policy and legislation. Wildlife ImpactsFact Sheets Energy Policy and Legislation Climate Change and the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge |
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