Dec. 6 marks the anniversary of a monumental decision to protect a bountiful natural ecosystem in northeastern Alaska. Fifty years ago, the secretary of the Interior during the Eisenhower administration signed a Public Land Order establishing 8.9 million acres as the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. This move to protect a vital piece of Alaska was a move toward protection of fragile environments that contain species that are at high risk from human development.
One of those species is the iconic polar bear. When female polar bears are
disturbed, they abandon their dens leaving their cubs to die. As a result, the
survival rate for cubs is reduced. Since it is the most significant onshore
polar bear denning habitat in the United States, the Coastal Plain must remain
untouched.
The Gwich'in Nation relies on the intact Coastal Plain because
their subsistence lifestyle for the past 20,000 years has depended on the
Porcupine Caribou herd of 125,000, which annually travels nearly 1,500 miles to
and from ancestral calving grounds to give birth. As one of the last undisturbed
native populations in the United States, this Nations' survival relies on the
permanent protection of the land.
In addition, permanent protection of the Coastal Plain will ensure that over
180 migratory bird species will keep their sanctuary forever. These bird species
land in parks, farm fields, and backyards throughout the United States and six
continents. Many land in Iowan's backyards serving as a small oasis for birds
foraging for seeds, insects, and berries.
Clearly, the symbiotic
relationship between the native animal species and the native population must be
left intact. Unfortunately, proponents of oil exploration and development are
pushing to open the Arctic Coastal Plain in order to begin pumping to the lower
48 states. These proponents have used recent oil price spikes as the reason to
begin pumping. After the vast array of pipelines, pumping stations, and
sprawling industrial infrastructure have been constructed, any discovered oil
would not be available for at least a decade. The U.S. Geological Survey found
there is only a six-month supply of economically recoverable oil in the Arctic
Coastal Plain. Opening the Arctic Coastal Plain will have next to no effect on
overall oil prices because the supply is too small and the Persian Gulf oil that
we currently purchase is far too cheap.
Kudos to both the Eisenhower and Carter administrations for the 50 years of protection for the Arctic Refuge, but this protection is constantly in limbo. The Arctic Coastal Plain is one of the last frontiers in the world that sustains native communities and countless endangered species. As Americans, we must be cognizant of the potential environmental injustice, disruption, and endangerment issues that can arise if we do not insist that President Obama designate the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge as our newest National Monument. Declaring the Arctic Refuge a National Monument will provide a historic legacy of Americans devotion to our final frontier.