Statement: House votes to protect the crown jewel of our wildlife refuge system

Media Contacts
Erik Dumont

Ross Sherman

Bipartisan Arctic Cultural and Coastal Plain Protection Act is a historic step forward

Environment America

WASHINGTON — The U.S. House of Representatives has voted 225-193 to restore protections from oil and gas development in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.
 
Erik DuMont, Public Lands Conservation Campaign director for Environment America, issued the following statement: 
 
“The House took a historic step today to safeguard the coastal plain of the Arctic Refuge from oil drilling. The denning polar bears, migrating caribou and birds from all fifty states that call the Refuge home are simply worth protecting.

“We live in a time when clean renewable energy is experiencing unprecedented growth. It has never made sense to allow oil companies to destroy the crown jewel of our national wildlife refuge for private oil profits. But doing so now, when there are cleaner ways to power our society, is especially reckless and irrational. 

“We applaud the House’s action and call on the Senate to follow their lead.”

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