EXPOSED: Illegal oil exploration being pushed in Arctic

Dear folks, The Trump administration is undeterred in its shameless pursuit of fossil fuels and will stop at nothing to open the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to the ravages of oil development. They'll even break the law to get what they want. This past weekend, The Washington Post, reported that they obtained documents showing the administration instructed U.S. Fish and Wildlife officials to alter regulations that prohibit oil and gas exploration in the refuge – a ban that has been in place since 1986! This alarming discovery is further evidence of this administration's disregard for wildlife and the rule of law. The Arctic Refuge is a highly-sensitive ecosystem that provides vital denning habitat for polar bears, is the primary calving ground for one of North America's largest caribou herds and shelters more than 200 species of birds from all 50 states and six continents. Exploratory activities like seismic blasting and drilling, along with noise from utility vehicles and work crews, will disturb wildlife, including denning polar bears. It could even scare mother bears from their dens leaving their cubs helpless and facing certain death. This is the first step towards opening the Arctic Refuge to the devastation of full-blown oil and gas development, which has been debated for decades. But this brazen attempt to pursue refuge drilling – by an administration whose top advisors are longtime allies of the oil industry – is unheard-of. It is clear that the administration will go to any length to drill for oil and gas in the Arctic Refuge – despite the trauma it would cause to wildlife and one of the last remaining intact ecosystems in the world. With your support we will fight these mounting attacks on the Arctic Refuge and the wildlife that call it home. Sincerely, Jamie Rappaport Clark President, Defenders of Wildlife

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