Starting today, we’re racing against time to protect the Arctic Refuge from oil drilling. The Department of the Interior just began the environmental review process for a lease sale in the Refuge — the first step in opening America’s last great wilderness up to Big Oil.

Submit a comment and tell BLM that oil rigs can never be allowed in the Refuge.

The Refuge is sacred to Alaska Native tribes like the Gwich’in, whose way of life is tied to the migration of the Refuge’s porcupine caribou herd. For the Gwich’in, protecting this place is a matter of tribal sovereignty and human rights. It’s also an issue of food security — in a place where grocery store staples are prohibitively expensive, the Gwich’in rely on caribou for 80% of their diet.

This environmental review process would normally take years, but Trump and Interior Secretary Zinke are rushing to get drills in the ground before another administration can reverse their decision. And we need to stop them. This year is our last chance to hold the line — we need to bring our message to the government, the oil companies, and the banks that fund these drilling projects.

Add your comment and tell BLM that the Arctic Refuge is a symbol of what we want for our future — the preservation of a way of life, climate justice and wild places for future generations.

Thanks for all you do,

Lena Moffitt
Senior Director, Our Wild America Campaign
Sierra Club