BLM: Oil industry can nominate tracts for lease in Arctic Refuge

SEATTLE, WA — Today the federal Bureau of Land Management took a key step in the Trump administration’s effort to sell off and develop our public lands by issuing a call for potential bidders to nominate tracts they would like to see included in an upcoming oil and gas lease sale on the sensitive coastal plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. 

Despite overwhelming public opposition to drilling on the calving grounds of the Porcupine Caribou Herd – land that is considered sacred to Indigenous Alaskans who depend on the herd for their very survival – the administration has in recent months stripped away protections for the Arctic Refuge to make it easier for industry to drill and pollute in one of the last great wild landscapes in America.  

The Wilderness Society responded to today’s call for nominations by issuing the following statement from Alaska senior manager Meda DeWitt: 

“Once again, the oil industry’s allies in Congress are ignoring public opinion and the undeniable realities of the climate crisis by moving to drill on the sacred coastal plain and endanger the freedom of local communities to sustain their cultures and lifestyles for generations to come.  

“Two previous lease sales have already been economic failures, proving that the absurd Arctic Refuge leasing program should be eliminated and permanent protection must be provided for the calving grounds of the Porcupine Caribou Herd.”  

At 19.3 million acres, the Arctic Refuge is America’s largest wildlife refuge and provides habitat for caribou, polar bear and migrating birds from across the globe, and a diverse range of wilderness lands.    

For media inquiries, contact Keri Gilliland at kgilliland@tws.org.