The Trump administration has just finalized a plan to open the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to oil and gas drilling — one of the most pristine and ecologically vital landscapes in North America.

This is more than a policy decision. It is a direct assault on Indigenous sovereignty, climate stability, and the survival of irreplaceable wildlife.

The plan greenlights lease sales in a 1.5 million-acre stretch of the refuge’s coastal plain — land that is sacred to the Gwich’in people and critical to the survival of the Porcupine caribou herd. These caribou aren’t just animals; they are central to the Gwich’in way of life, culture, and food security.

While a few political leaders and corporate backers frame this as “economic opportunity,” they are ignoring the global ecological cost — and the rights of the people who have protected this land for generations. Drilling here threatens migratory birds, polar bears, and other species already under pressure from climate change. It also sets a dangerous precedent for extracting fossil fuels from the last wild places, even as the world faces escalating climate disasters.

We, the undersigned, call on Congress, the U.S. Department of the Interior, and all responsible agencies to:

• Immediately halt all oil and gas leasing activity in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge
• Pass permanent protections for the refuge that honor Indigenous stewardship and ecological balance
• Recognize the rights of the Gwich’in people and others whose land, culture, and food sources are threatened by this decision
   

This land is not empty. It is alive, sacred, and irreplaceable.

Letting it be sold off to oil interests for short-term profit is a moral failure and a climate betrayal. We cannot drill our way to a livable future — but we can choose to protect the Arctic Refuge, its people, and its wildlife for generations to come.

Add your name to demand an end to this reckless plan — and a future that puts people and the planet before profit.

Photo: AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson, File