bike seeds: [New Report] New science + high stakes for the Western Arctic

Thursday, August 7, 2025

[New Report] New science + high stakes for the Western Arctic

Dear Momoko,

The 23 million-acre Western Arctic, also known as the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska, is a spectacular landscape that holds immense cultural significance and provides habitat to countless wildlife—but it is also under an immense threat.

Recently, the Trump administration moved to strip critical protections and open the Western Arctic to destructive drilling and mining. Our new report, Assessment of Ecological and Cultural Values Within the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska, reveals just how much is at stake for the communities and wildlife that depend on this unique, complex and fragile landscape.

CHECK OUT THE REPORT

Here is just a sampling of the report's findings:

PEOPLE: The Iñupiat people have thrived on this land for thousands of years. Integrating Indigenous Knowledge into land-management practices is vital to respecting the traditional Iñupiat lifeways and ensuring a sustainable future.

CARIBOU: The Reserve provides critical calving grounds as well as other important habitat used by caribou year-round. Caribou are the most abundant large land mammal in the Arctic, but they have experienced sharp declines across most of their range. Protecting the Reserve is vital to ensuring the survival of these majestic animals.

FISH: Broad whitefish are critical subsistence and cultural resources for Iñupiat communities in the Western Arctic. Protecting Western Arctic watersheds is essential for the conservation of the region's fish and for the communities that depend on them.

BIRDS: The United States' entire yellow-billed loon breeding population is found only in Alaska, primarily in the Western Arctic. Protecting this breeding ground is critical to the survival of many shorebird populations across the globe.

READ MORE

The National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska is one of the most intact landscapes remaining on the planet. The findings of this report underscore the importance of continuing to fight to protect this special place that's vital to local Indigenous communities and an unmatched diversity of wildlife.

Thanks to the continued support of people like you, we're working to defend this extraordinary place from the administration's attacks, which would open more than 80 percent of the reserve to oil and gas development. You can help stop this wild and sacred place from being destroyed by supporting our work with a gift today.

Thank you for everything you do to protect our nation's most cherished landscapes, Momoko.

With gratitude,

Margot Krieger headshot.