An Alaska senator recently introduced legislation to open the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to oil and gas drilling. 37 Arctic wildlife scientists, including several former officials from the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, the United States Geological Survey, and the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, responded the next day with a letter. They oppose oil and gas exploration and development, stsating “such activity would be incompatible with the purposes for which the refuge was established, including ‘to conserve fish and wildlife populations and habitats in their natural diversity.'”

Continue reading below
Our Featured Videos

Alaska, Arctic, Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, Arctic drilling, Arctic oil, environment, polar bear, polar bears, wildlife, wildlife refuge, Alaska wildlife, Arctic wildlife, animal, animals

Senator Lisa Murkowski, a Republican of Alaska and chair of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, released the legislation Wednesday. On Thursday, the 37 scientists sent the letter to Murkowski and Maria Cantwell, Ranking Member of the committee and Democrat from Washington.

Related: Obama shuts the door on Arctic and Atlantic drilling for next five years

Murkowski’s legislation targeted the coastal plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, but the scientists said in their letter, “Decades of biological study and scientific research within the Arctic Refuge have confirmed that the coastal plain specifically is vital to the biological diversity of the entire refuge.” They said polar bears, several migratory bird species, wolves, wolverines, Arctic grayling, caribou, Dolly Varden char, muskoxen, and grizzly bears all live in the coastal plain, which they said “contains the greatest wildlife diversity of any protected area above the Arctic Circle.”

Alaska, Arctic, Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, Arctic drilling, Arctic oil, environment, polar bear, polar bears, wildlife, wildlife refuge, Alaska wildlife, Arctic wildlife, animal, animals

Polar bears are among the animals that stand to lose if drilling moves forward in this part of the Arctic. The scientists said three fourths of the coastal plain “is designated as critical habitat for polar bears, which are highly vulnerable to disturbance due to oil and gas activities.”

Cantwell told Reuters she’d oppose the legislation. Murkowski’s spokesperson did not comment. Audubon, which made a copy of the letter available online, is calling on people to reach out to their representatives in Congress and ask them to protect the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge from development.

Via Reuters, The Washington Post, and Audubon

Images via Depositphotos (1,2) and Wikimedia Commons