Waste no time—the Arctic needs you to speak up right now 
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Waste no time—the Arctic needs you to speak up right now 

24 Jun, 2025
in America's Arctic, News by

Last week the Trump administration took another swing at the Arctic and public lands by proposing to revoke current protections in the western Arctic by opening over 80 percent of the largest unit of public land in the country to oil and gas. The administration has given Alaskans and Americans a scant two weeks to weigh in on the proposal.  

Tell this administration you want them to back off and leave the previous protections in place.  

Teshekpuk caribou, NPRA. Bob Wick, BLM

This attempted rollback of protections needlessly pushes for more fossil fuel leasing by opening these currently protected public lands to private and often foreign oil and gas conglomerates. This effort shifts access and decision-making further and further away from the public while threatening the health of animals like whales, polar bears, migratory birds, and caribou who provide an important cultural foundation and food source for 40 Indigenous communities.  

This effort specifically targets areas designated as “Special Areas” precisely because of their importance to people, animals, and the region’s health. It would fully open the Teshekpuk Lake Special Area to oil and gas leasing and drilling. The Teshekpuk Lake area—essential to the Teshekpuk Lake caribou and the people who rely on them for food and their culture—is particularly vulnerable to industrialization. 

Industrial construction, traffic, sprawl, pollution and emissions would disrupt caribou migration and worsen climate impacts like sea ice loss, erosion, severe storms, floods, wildfires, and fish die-offs due to warming rivers. The Arctic is already warming faster than anywhere on the planet, and protecting its vulnerable landscapes can safeguard communities, animals, and the planet’s health. 

Sign on to defend the Arctic and then stay engaged every chance you get.  

 

 

Vicki Clark, executive director