Oil and gas in the Arctic

Alaskan North Slope Coastal Tundra

WWF's activities have focused on keeping oil and development out of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. The US Geological Survey estimates that the Refuge contains 10.36 billion barrels of oil (bbl). While these are not enormous reserves, the Refuge has nonetheless tremendous symbolic value for all sides. Keeping this protected area closed for oil and gas development must be a priority.

The coastal plain of the Arctic refuge - often called "America's Serengeti" because of its abundant caribou, polar bear, grizzly bear, wolf, and other wildlife populations - represents the last five percent of America's Arctic not already open to development. The Gwich'in people of Alaska and Western Canada, whose subsistence lifestyle depends on the nearly 130,000 caribou that rely on the coastal plain, call it "the sacred place where life begins."

To the west and north of the Refuge, the Alaskan and federal governments are aggressively pursuing leasing programs in the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska and in the Alaskan Beaufort Sea. If these leasing programs lead to development, we may over time see development and/or infrastructure across the entire North Slope and off the coast of the Refuge, in the Beaufort Sea. This would come in addition to the existing 1.000 square kilometere North Slope industrial complex, whose sprawling infrastructure is unlikely ever to be decommissioned.