Every outdoor enthusiast, hunter, backpacker and birder knows there are only a few places left in this country that remind us of what true wildness feels like — where you can stand on an open ridge and see nothing but land, water and sky stretching to the horizon. The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and the Western Arctic Reserve in northern Alaska are two of these places. They are among the last truly wild landscapes left in America, home to vast migrations of caribou, flocks of waterfowl that visit every state in America and the cultures and traditions of the Gwich’in and Inupiat peoples who have lived in harmony with the land for millennia.
These are not empty spaces. They are living, breathing ecosystems that sustain life on a continental scale. Millions of migratory birds representing more than 200 species — from snow buntings to golden eagles, long-tailed ducks to familiar shorebirds like dunlins and ruddy turnstones —nest in these northern landscapes before flying south to the Lower 48. Bowhead whales travel the Arctic’s waters. The iconic polar bear dens there. In many ways, the Arctic is where our shared story with wildlife begins.
And yet, these landscapes remain under constant threat from short-term political and industrial pressures. Congress should act to make Arctic protections permanent, ensuring these wild landscapes remain whole for generations to come.
For decades, powerful interests have sought to open more of the Arctic to oil and gas drilling — even as we’ve learned more about how such development fragments habitat, pollutes air and water, and accelerates climate change. The first Trump administration began an aggressive push to roll back Arctic protections and fast-track lease sales. Though the Biden administration later restored many safeguards, the current administration is working to erase them just as quickly.
Recently, the House of Representatives passed a resolution (H.J. Res. 131) seeking to overturn critical safeguards for caribou and polar bears in the Arctic Refuge. This kind of policy whiplash — establishing then removing protections — leaves communities, companies and conservationists uncertain. The land and wildlife pay the highest price.
That’s no way to treat the crown jewel of America’s public lands system. We need a different approach — one rooted in stewardship, not politics. This isn’t about shutting down energy production everywhere; it’s about recognizing that some places are simply too important to lose. The Arctic’s fragile tundra, its migrating herds, and its Indigenous communities cannot simply move somewhere else when drilling rigs arrive.
How can you help? Ask your congressional representative to support permanent protections for the Arctic by cosponsoring the Arctic Refuge Protection Act. This is not a partisan issue. It’s an American issue — about how we define our legacy and manage the land that belongs to all of us. Polls show 70% of Americans support protecting the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge from drilling. People across political lines understand that once a wild place is lost, it doesn’t come back.
Protecting the Arctic permanently would:
● Safeguard biodiversity: As noted, the region supports hundreds of species, from polar bears to walruses to migratory birds.
● Honor Indigenous leadership: The Gwich’in call the Refuge’s coastal plain “The Sacred Place Where Life Begins,” because it sustains the caribou herds that sustain them. Protecting this land honors their sovereignty and stewardship.
● Support outdoor traditions: Hunters, anglers, birdwatchers and other outdoor enthusiasts across the country value healthy wildlife populations that depend on the Arctic’s intact ecosystems.
● Provide climate stability: Arctic lands store massive amounts of carbon in permafrost. Keeping them intact helps slow the very climate change that is reshaping our seasons, oceans and forests. Reducing, not expanding, the burning of fossil fuels is also key to combatting climate change.
We have the opportunity to choose foresight over regret. Congress can ensure that the Arctic remains a place where wildlife roams free, where Indigenous cultures thrive and where our children’s children can still find the sound of the wind across untouched tundra.
The Arctic belongs to all of us — and it deserves to remain forever wild.
This is a contributed opinion column. Liz Brensinger is the conservation chair at the Lehigh Valley Audubon Society. Matt Docalovich is a field organizer with the Alaska Wilderness League. The views expressed in this piece are those of its individual author, and should not be interpreted as reflecting the views of this publication. Do you have a perspective to share? Learn more about how we handle guest opinion submissions at themorningcall.com/opinions.
