Arctic National Wildlife Refuge The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge was created in 1960 in northeastern Alaska to protect and maintain it’s naturally functioning community of arctic and sub-arctic ecosystems. A variety of wildlife, including 36 fish species, 36 kinds of land mammals, over 160 bird species, and 9 marine animals, reside in this protected area. However, beneath this beautiful land, is a black gold mine. The U.S. Geological Survey estimates that below the permafrost of the 1.5 million-acre coastal …showed first 75 words of 1252 total…

…showed last 75 words of 1252 total…from current ongoing oil drilling is damaging our irreplaceable atmosphere, and contaminating rivers and lakes. The wildlife will be severely affected. The wildlife would be forced to relocate inland, and away from oil drilling, resulting in large drops in caribou, polar bear, and musk oxen populations, because of the harsher inland weather. Oil drilling in this area will forever change and destroy the beautiful haven that the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge was designed to preserve.