EPPN: Protect the Arctic

Posted Aug 15, 2013

[Episcopal Public Policy Network] The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge is a national treasure that stands alone in its wildness, ecological integrity, beauty, and unique recreational opportunities. We have an opportunity today to promote wilderness protection for this incomparable landscape, preserving it for future generations to enjoy.

Last January, then-Representative Edward Markey introduced legislation titled “The Udall Eisenhower Wilderness Act” (HR 139) that would designate 1.5 million acres of wilderness along the coastal plain of Alaska’s Arctic National Wildlife Refuge as a component of the National Wilderness Preservation System. Such a designation would protect the Refuge against oil and gas development, preserving its pristine, fragile ecosystem from the roads, pipelines, and oil derricks that accompany such exploration.

The Refuge’s coastal plain is a vital part of a larger ecosystem and is connected to existing wilderness through its scenic landscapes, watersheds, rivers, and wildlife migrations. The Episcopal Church has long opposed drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge not only because of our concern for and stewardship of God’s creation, but also because of our commitment to standing with the Gwich’in Nation, the indigenous people who live in the Arctic who are mostly Episcopalians. The Gwich’in depend for their daily sustenance upon the Porcupine caribou herd, whose birthing patterns would be disrupted by oil exploration in the Refuge, ultimately threatening the survival of both the caribou and the Gwich’in Nation.

Urge your Representative to preserve the manifest beauty and dynamic ecosystem of the Arctic Refuge and co-sponsor HR 139.

 


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