Arctic National Wildlife Refuge

From an environmental perspective, discussions about opening up the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) to oil drilling come down to the issue of wilderness and wildlife preservation versus economic development.

Arctic Resources ANWR Politics Arctic Sea Ice

Wilderness preservation is a relatively new concept to the American scene.

In 1964, Congress passed the Wilderness Act based on the idea that a portion of the land in the United States should remain natural, or left untouched by roads, buildings and other elements of the modern world connected to economic development. Wilderness areas are intended primarily for recreation and scientific purposes. According to the Wilderness Society, today's 104 million acres of national wilderness represents approximately 5% of the total United States land mass.

ANWR is not only a wilderness area (eight million of the twenty million acres are designated wilderness), it's also a National Wildlife Refuge, one of over 500 in the United States. U.S. support for National Wildlife Refuges dates back a bit longer than wilderness preservation, going back to Theodore Roosevelt's designation of Pelican Island in Florida in 1903 as the first Refuge. As their name suggests, their purpose is to provide for wildlife conservation and ecosystem stability. Caribou are among the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge's best known inhabitants, however according to the United States Fish and Wildlife service, the area is home to a wide diversity of species including:

36 fish species

36 land mammals

9 marine mammals

~160 different bird species (both resident and migratory)

Copyright 2001-2007. Patricia A. Michaels.