Great news for the Western Arctic

Great news! President Biden has just announced a plan to protect 13 million acres of the Western Arctic.

Protection for the Western Arctic

Future oil and gas drilling will now be restricted across the expanse, which covers an area larger than the state of Maryland.

The decision is a victory for both the Western Arctic and the wildlife that call it home. This region of the Arctic is habitat for tens of thousands of caribou, polar bears, and walruses. Its lakes and wetlands provide refuge for millions of migratory birds.

Drilling doesn’t belong in this beautiful place

Despite its beauty and ecological importance, the Western Arctic has faced threats from the oil and gas industry.

ConocoPhillips and Armstrong Oil & Gas have sought to build infrastructure and drill for fossil fuels in the region.3 This would have permanently scarred the landscape, created air and noise pollution that harm wildlife and accelerated the rate of global warming in the region.

This new decision will curb fossil fuel extraction in the region, protecting the Western Arctic for current and future generations of people and wildlife. The rule also established a process for creating and expanding for federally-designated special areas. This will make it easier to protect ecologically important places going forward.

Your support made the difference

Thanks to environmental advocates like you, we sent tens of thousands of messages calling on the Biden administration to take steps to safeguard the Western Arctic. With your support, we were able to play an important part in this victory and look forward to working together towards many more.