Arctic Refuge Likely to Survive Another Congress
The Bush administration, the oil industry, and the industry’s backers in Congress took several more runs this year at authorizing drilling across the coastal plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. But as the days of the 109th Congress wind down, it appears that this natural treasure and its wildlife have survived for now.
“The Wilderness Society’s efforts to protect this unique place go back to the days of our founding more than 70 years ago,” says President William H. Meadows. “We have been in the thick of a particularly intense fight since 1987, when the Reagan administration gave Congress a report urging drilling.”
Millions of birds that nested in the refuge over the summer have returned to wintering grounds across North, Central, and South America. The storied Porcupine Caribou Herd, 140,000 strong with its newborns, has trekked hundreds of miles to its winter home. Back at the refuge are muskoxen, certain bird species, and other wildlife. Grizzlies and polar bears have moved into their dens, and soon females will give birth to the next generation.
Conservationists are not hibernating, however. “We know that the industry and its political friends will try yet again to have their way with the Arctic Refuge,” says Eleanor Huffines, our Alaska regional director. “That means that our side has to keep at it, reaching out to new supporters, mapping strategy, and lining up fresh evidence on why drilling in this sanctuary is no way to solve our very real energy problems.”
Keep current on the campaign to protect “America’s Serengeti
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