Protecting America’s Arctic Remains Essential for Habitat Conservation and Cultural Resources

The long-term health and environmental sustainability of some of Alaska’s most pristine landscapes and intact ecosystems, including the Teshekpuk Lake wetlands complex and the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, are essential to migratory birds and underscore the importance of continued commitment to protecting these places. Congress recently passed two binding resolutions, S.J. Res. 80 and S.J. Res. 91, at a moment when years of engagement by federal agencies, communities, industry, conservationists, and Tribal governments had helped secure important protections for ecological and cultural values.

Using the Congressional Review Act (CRA), Congress passed resolutions of disapproval that overturn the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) Integrated Activity Plan (IAP) for the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska, a land-use plan governing 23 million acres in the Western Arctic, and BLM’s new Record of Decision (ROD), which set management direction for the Arctic Refuge’s 1.5-million-acre Coastal Plain. The use of the CRA prevents BLM from issuing any future IAP or ROD that is “substantially similar,” blocking the agency from updating these plans even if new science, environmental conditions, or community needs emerge.  For over 60 years, these lands have been protected for their ecological values and profound cultural importance. In addition to migratory birds from around the world, this landscape’s intact wetlands, tundra, and coastal habitats are vital to caribou, polar bears, wolves, and wolverine.

The Western Arctic’s IAP – the result of years of collaborations – reflected important cultural considerations, scientific rigor, and broad public consensus about how to balance development with the necessity to safeguard irreplaceable Arctic ecosystems. The land management plan designated five unique “Special Areas” because of their importance to fish and wildlife and subsistence resources. This included the globally renowned Teshekpuk Lake Special Area, a vital habitat for millions of migratory birds and the Teshekpuk Caribou Herd. Similarly, the impact of the CRA on the Arctic Refuge’s Coastal Plain ROD underscores the importance of honoring years of consultation with Indigenous communities, including the Gwich’in Nation, which has long opposed oil development in this area.

Audubon remains committed to ensuring that the Arctic Refuge Coastal Plain and places like the Teshekpuk Lake Special Area remain free from oil development. These landscapes are national treasures and require commensurate protection and stewardship.