This is wonderful news for one of the most sensitive and remote environments in the world, and it comes only after oil companies were humbled by Arctic weather conditions last year. 

As of March 1, cuts – known as sequestration – will be affecting every federal agency, including the National Park Service, the US Fish and Wildlife Service, the Forest Service and other environmental agencies.

Most recently, two of President Obama’s trusted advisers have requested that Obama hit the brakes on Shell’s oil exploration in the Arctic Ocean.

Fish and marine mammals are important sources of food for the town’s residents. Like other communities on Alaska’s North Slope, Barrow faces direct threats from the threat of oil spills, pollution from industrial development, and climate change.