Arctic Alaska

America’s Only Arctic Ecosystem

In far northern Alaska, America’s only arctic ecosystem might conjure images of perpetual darkness, snow, and ice. Yet, in spite of extreme conditions, the Coastal Plain and Arctic Ocean teem with life. 

On land, fragile tundra, wetlands, and rivers support hundreds of species, including caribou, muskoxen, and migratory birds. Offshore polar bears roam the ice hunting for seals and walrus, which in turn rely on fish and a complex food web ranging from whales to tiny phytoplankton. Indigenous people learned to make use of the Arctic’s abundant resources and subsist on them still today. 

Growing pressure to drill for oil and gas could change all of this. 

Arctic National Wildlife Refuge

The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge has been the focus of drilling interests for more than a decade, and The Wilderness Society has fought successfully to protect this iconic wilderness. Under the Bush Administration, offshore of the Refuge hundreds of thousands of acres of the Western Arctic and the Arctic Ocean have already been leased or are vulnerable to oil and gas development.

Teshekpuk Lake and Other Wildlife-Rich Arctic Areas

Onshore, and immediately west of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge is the 23.5-million-acre National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska (NPR-A). Home to huge numbers of waterfowl and to the nation's largest caribou herd, the area is vitally important to many Native Alaskans whose subsistence culture and lifestyle depends on these animals. It is also the largest expanse of unprotected public wildlands in the nation.

Oil and gas development is already taking place here and The Wilderness Society does not oppose all drilling. But we are working to protect some of the most important areas for wildlife and native subsistence, including Teshekpuk Lake, the Colville River, Kasegaluk Lagoon and the Utukok River Uplands. If the Arctic Refuge and these special places are not kept safe from the sprawling roads, pipelines and pollution of industrial oil development, precious pieces of American heritage could be lost forever.  

 “Polar Bear Seas” at risk of offshore drilling

The frozen waters of the Beaufort and Chukchi Seas are rich in marine life — whales, seals and walruses — and are the only habitat for America’s polar bears. Hence their nickname “Polar Bear Seas.”

With millions of acres of the Polar Bear Seas now leased for oil and gas development, these areas and their wildlife are being subjected to seismic testing,  marine traffic, and pollution. And the administration’s five-year plan for this offshore area proposes moving forward aggressively to lease as much as 33 million acres in the Beaufort Sea, and 39 million acres in the Chukchi Sea.  

Protecting the land and people from oil spills

The technology to clean up a spill in Arctic waters does not currently exist and a large spill could result in devastating impacts not only to the environment, but also to local communities. Native groups and conservation organizations are working tirelessly to oppose this plan. Among our strategies is the introduction of legislation (Polar Bear Seas Protection Act H.R. 6057 and S. 2568) that would prevent any oil and gas drilling offshore until better protections are put in place for polar bears and other Arctic marine resources.