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WASHINGTON, D.C. — Legislation to permanently safeguard the pristine Arctic National Wildlife Refuge from destructive oil and gas development will help protect the Gwich’in People, along with polar bears, caribou, and nearly 200 species of migratory birds. The Arctic Refuge Protection Act, introduced by Sen. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) and Rep. Jared Huffman (D-Calif.), would grant the refuge Wilderness status, the highest level of federal conservation protection.

“The Coastal Plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge is teeming with migrating caribou, denning polar bears, and hundreds of species of birds and waterfowl. In addition, the Gwich’in people depend on these lands and wildlife for their survival. The Arctic Refuge Protection Act will provide the necessary, permanent protections for this crown jewel of the refuge system to thrive for future generations,” said Abby Tinsley, vice president for conservation policy at the National Wildlife Federation. “Some places are simply too important to be compromised by industrial development — and in recent years, banks, major energy companies, and the 皇冠体育app官网平台n public have made it clear that the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge is one of those places.”