Action Alerts

Thank the Biden administration for protecting the Western Arctic

What's At Stake

Thanks in part to the advocacy of tens of thousands of Earthjustice supporters, the Biden administration unveiled new protections for certain areas within Alaska’s Western Arctic ā€” a public lands area that has been targeted by ConocoPhillips and other oil companies for oil and gas drilling.Ā 

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The administrationā€™s actions will ensure maximum protection for more than 13 million acres in the Western Arctic. The new regulations will also establish an outright prohibition on any new leasing in 10.6 million acres.Ā 

Todayā€™s announcement is encouraging and a major step forward.ā€ÆThe new regulations will protect important habitat for migratory birds, polar bears, caribou, and other iconic Arctic species.Ā Ā 

Looking ahead, more protections are needed throughout the Western Arctic to ensure that oil industry drilling does not further damage the climate or this special landscape, which is found in a region that is already warming four times as fast as the rest of the planet due to climate change.ā€Æā€ÆWith your help, we will continue to advocate against new oil drilling in the Western Arctic. Earthjusticeā€™s lawsuit to stop Willow is ongoing, and weā€™ll continue to use every legal tool available to prevent any future Willows from occurring.Ā 

We will keep you updated on further Western Arctic news, but for now please join us in thanking the Biden administration for bolstering protections for some of the most sensitive and ecologically important areas in the Western Arctic.Ā 

Caribou in the Western Arctic
Caribou in the Western Arctic. (Kiliii YĆ¼yan for Earthjustice)

Delivery to President Biden and Secretary of the Interior Haaland

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