In a bold move that will protect nearly all of the magnificent Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska, The Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) is recommending full wilderness protection for more than 12 million Refuge acres, including the Coastal Plain.
In late January, the FWS released its final Comprehensive Conservation Plan (CCP), which will guide stewardship of this iconic wilderness for the next 15 years or more. The FWS chose Alternative E, which Wilderness Watch has been supporting, as its preferred alternative. Alternative E recommends the following Wilderness Study Areas for protection as designated Wilderness: the Brooks Range, the Porcupine Plateau, and the Coastal Plain. The Obama administration is backing FWS’s decision to protect the Arctic, and is urging Congress to designate these 12 million acres as Wilderness.
Meanwhile, groups like Alaska Wilderness League, Defenders of Wildlife, and PEW have been advocating for the designation of only the Coastal Plain as Wilderness (1.4 million acres). Additionally, the FWS is also recommending the Atigun, Hulahula, Kongakut, and Marsh Fork Canning Rivers for inclusion into the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System.
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