Tell the U.S. Government the Arctic Refuge is not for sale.

In early February, the U.S. Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Land Management (BLM) began the process of accepting land tract nominations for their oil and gas leasing program on the Coastal Plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, triggering a 30-day public comment period. This nomination period represents an aggressive step towards identifying plots of land on the Coastal Plain for leasing to development.

This impending lease sale represents the third attempting seven years, with the first two—in 2021 and in 2025—utterly failing to garner any significant interest from industry. CPAWS Yukon stands in solidarity with the Vuntut Gwitchin First Nation, Gwich’in Steering Committee, and Alaskan environmental organizations in denouncing this poorly planned and rushed process.

The Coastal Plain of the Arctic Refuge is home to numerous sensitive ecosystems, including the calving grounds of the Porcupine Caribou Herd, whose transboundary migration passes through Alaska, Yukon, and the Northwest Territories. Oil and gas development in the Arctic Refuge would seriously impact the Porcupine Caribou Herd and all those who rely on their health. We have until March 5th to submit a comment in support of protecting this sensitive area to the U.S. Bureau of Land Management.

Use our template below to share your vision for a healthy, protected Arctic Refuge.

State Director

Kevin

Pendergast

U.S. Bureau of Land Management

To the State Director of the U.S. Bureau of Land Management,

I am writing to express my sincere disappointment and concern at the decision to open the Coastal Plains of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to oil and gas leasing for a third time.

The beating heart of a fragile and irreplaceable Northern ecosystem, the Arctic Refuge is home to the calving grounds of the Porcupine Caribou Herd, one the last remaining great herds on the continent. These incredible animals embark on the longest land mammal migration on the planet and are crucial for the well-being of these ecosystems, as well as the Gwich’in and other First Nations who rely on them for subsistence, culture, and tradition. The decision to call for leasing nominations at this time is not only an environmental and social injustice, but an insult to all Canadians, who agreed to work together in collaboration with the U.S. to protect and manage the herd through the Porcupine Caribou Management Agreement.

I am deeply worried about the impact oil and gas exploration and development, including seismic testing, will have on the Porcupine caribou, and the innumerable other species of fish, birds, plants, and animals that call the Arctic Refuge home. In this era of climate change and biodiversity loss, it's irresponsible to risk harming the Arctic Refuge.

As Canadians, we share these resources, these ecosystems, and this continent with you, our U.S. neighbours. What happens in the Arctic Refuge effects not only Alaskans, or Americans, but Yukoners, Northerners, and Canadians at large. As the U.S. Bureau of Land Management undergoes this nomination process, I urge you to consider a different option that prioritizes the health of the herd, landscapes, and people.

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