an aerial view of a coastal plain filled with caribous migrating

This refuge may be the most contested land in the U.S.

The Trump Administration has finalized plans to sell oil leases in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Here’s what’s at stake.

In spring, caribou migrate to the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge’s coastal plain. There they spend six weeks grazing on tundra, giving birth, and dodging mosquitoes and predators—including Alaska-native hunters, for whom caribou are a crucial resource. The coastal plain is also where the oil may lie.
Update: On Monday, November 16, 2020, the U.S. Department of the Interior called for companies to begin reserving tracts to bid on during an upcoming sale of oil leases in the Alaska National Wildlife Refuge. In August, Interior said it would begin selling the leases possibly before the end of 2020. But environmental groups promised to continue challenging the effort in court, and drilling in the refuge is unlikely to begin for years. With oil prices still low following their historic plunge earlier this year, it's also uncertain how much industry interest there will be in new leases.
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