WASHINGTON: The Obama administration will propose setting aside more than 12 million acres in Alaska’s Arctic National Wildlife Refuge as wilderness, the White House announced, halting any chance of oil exploration for now in the refuge’s much-fought-over coastal plain and sparking a fierce battle with Republicans, including the new chair of the Senate Energy Committee.
The proposed area is a 12-million-acre stretch of coastal plain in the state’s Arctic National Wildlife Refuge that includes a 1.5-million-acre zone oil companies have wanted to drill for decades. While the area is suspected of holding enough oil to last decades, it’s also home to a diverse range of wildlife.
The area is the only wildlife region in the United States that is home to grizzly bears, black bears, and polar bears. The refuge also encompasses waters that are home to 36 types of fish and calving grounds for whales.
“The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge preserves a unique diversity of wildlife and habitat in a corner of America that is still wild and free,” said US Fish and Wildlife Service director Dan Ashe said in a statement. “But it faces growing challenges that require a thoughtful and comprehensive management strategy. The incorporation of large portions of the refuge into the National Wilderness Preservation System will ensure we protect this outstanding landscape and its inhabitants for our children and generations that follow.”
