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78-550: For the past ten years, AWL has taken the lead in the fight to protect the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge from being opened to oil and gas development, and its leadership has made a significant impact in this area. The organization has rallied public support and successfully stopped numerous attempts by Congress to open the refuge to development. In 2001, AWL and its supporters helped fund photographer Subhankar Banerjee 's ground-breaking winter field photography in

156-681: A chance to finally stop chasing it." Even for Americans who would never travel there, "he thought they would benefit knowing that it still existed in the condition it always had." "In Alaska alone," Marshall wrote, "can the emotional values of the frontier be preserved." In 1953, an article was published in the journal of the Sierra Club by then National Park Service planner George Collins and biologist Lowell Sumner titled "Northeast Alaska: The Last Great Wilderness". Collins and Sumner then recruited Wilderness Society President Olaus Murie and his wife Margaret Murie with an effort to permanently protect

234-524: A healthy and increasing caribou herd migrates through these areas to calve and seek respite from annoying pests. The question of whether to drill for oil in the ANWR has been an ongoing political controversy in the United States since 1977. The controversy surrounds drilling for oil in a subsection of the coastal plain, known as the "1002 area". ANWR is 19,286,722 acres (78,050.59 km ). The coastal plain

312-615: A lot of territory to keep this alive, a living wilderness, for scientific observation and for esthetic inspiration. The Far North is a fragile place." Environmentalist Celia M. Hunter met the Muries and joined the fight. Founding the Alaska Conservation Society in 1960, Celia worked tirelessly to garner support for the protection of Alaskan wilderness ecosystems. The region first became a federal protected area on December 6, 1960, via an order authored by Ted Stevens , Solicitor of

390-510: A rapid pace. This process starts in the Arctic region, specifically in Alaska. Researchers at Oxford University explained that increasing temperatures, melting glaciers, thawing permafrost, and rising sea levels are all indications of warming throughout the Arctic. Sea Ice has thinned and decreased. Thinning has occurred due to the sun melting the ice at a higher pace. This backs up the concept of how

468-419: A single dominant gene and the white phase is homozygous recessive. When choosing a mate, young birds will most often select a mate that resembles their parents' coloring. If the birds were hatched into a mixed pair, they will mate with either color phase. The species is divided into two subspecies on the basis of size and geography. Size overlap has caused some to question the division. The smaller subspecies,

546-518: A variety of low tundra vegetation, dense shrubs, rare groves of poplar trees on the north side and spruce on the south. During summer, peregrine falcons , gyrfalcons , and golden eagles build nests on cliffs. Harlequin ducks and red-breasted mergansers are seen on swift-flowing rivers. Dall sheep , muskoxen, and Alaskan Arctic tundra wolves are active all year, while grizzly bears and Arctic ground squirrels are frequently seen during summer but hibernate in winter. The southern portion of

624-413: Is 1,500,000 acres (6,100 km ). The current proposal would limit development to 2,000 acres (8.1 km ) of that plain. Much of the debate over whether to drill in the 1002 area of ANWR rests on the amount of economically recoverable oil, as it relates to world oil markets, weighed against the potential harm oil exploration might have upon the natural wildlife , in particular the calving ground of

702-564: Is a national wildlife refuge in northeastern Alaska , United States, on traditional Iñupiaq and Gwich'in lands. The refuge is 19,286,722 acres (78,050.59 km ) of the Alaska North Slope region, with a northern coastline and vast inland forest, taiga , and tundra regions. ANWR is the largest national wildlife refuge in the country, slightly larger than the Yukon Delta National Wildlife Refuge . The refuge

780-588: Is a rare vagrant to Europe , but escapes from collections have occurred, and it is an occasional feral breeder. Snow geese are visitors to the British Isles where they are seen regularly among flocks of brant , barnacle goose , and greater white-fronted goose . There is also a feral population in Scotland from which many vagrant birds in Britain seem to derive. Around 2015, a small group of 3-5 snow geese landed on

858-585: Is a shallow depression lined with plant material and may be reused from year to year. After the female lays the first of three to five eggs, she lines the nest with down. The female incubates for 22 to 25 days, and the young leave the nest within a few hours of hatching. The young feed themselves, but are protected by both parents. After 42 to 50 days they can fly, but they remain with their family until they are two to three years old. Where snow geese and Ross's geese breed together, as at La Pérouse, they hybridize at times, and hybrids are fertile. Rare hybrids with

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936-631: Is administered from offices in Fairbanks . ANWR is home to a diverse range of endemic mammal species; notably, it is one of the few North American locations with all three endemic American bears —the polar bear , grizzly bear , and American black bear , each of which resides predominantly in its own ecological niche . Besides the bears, other mammal species include the moose , caribou , wolves , red and Arctic fox , Canada lynx , wolverine , pine marten , American beaver , and North American river otter . Further inland, mountain goats may be seen near

1014-532: Is distinguished from the nominate form by being slightly larger. It nests farther north and east. The lesser snow goose can be found in two color phases , the normal white-colored animals and a dark gray-colored "blue" phase. The greater snow goose is rarely seen in a blue phase. The snow goose has two color plumage morphs , white (snow) or gray/blue (blue), thus the common description as "snows" and "blues". White-morph birds are white except for black wing tips, but blue-morph geese have bluish-gray plumage replacing

1092-520: Is frozen. The glaciers and icebergs in the Arctic make up about 10% of Earth's land area. Most of the Arctic's liquid saltwater is from the Arctic Ocean's basin. Some parts of the ocean's surface are frozen all or most of the year. The Arctic area is mainly known for sea ice surrounding the region. The Arctic experiences extreme solar radiation. During the Northern Hemisphere 's winter months,

1170-603: Is much smaller than the Porcupine herd, and has an area that is much larger. By 2008 the Central Arctic caribou herd had approximately 67,000 animals. The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge is directly connected to Polar Bears. These bears are known for traveling in the region to den and give birth. Nearly 50 of these species migrate along the coast to the refuge in September. These bears extend more than 800 miles (1,300 km) along

1248-455: Is the longest of any land mammal on earth. In 2001, proponents of the development of the oil fields at Prudhoe Bay and Kuparuk, which would be approximately 60 miles (97 km) west of the Refuge, argued that Central Arctic caribou herd , had increased its numbers "in spite of several hundred miles of gravel roads and more than a thousand miles of elevated pipe." However, the Central Arctic herd

1326-452: Is the organization of spirited people who will fight for the freedom of the wilderness." The article became a much-quoted call to action and by the late 20th century was considered seminal by wilderness historians. According to environmental journalist Brooke Jarvis, "Marshall saw the enormous, largely unsettled Arctic lands he had explored as a possible antidote to this—not another chance to keep chasing America's so-called Manifest Destiny but

1404-688: The Atlantic coastal plain . Traditionally, lesser snow geese wintered in coastal marsh areas where they used their short but strong bills to dig up the roots of marsh grasses for food. However, they have also since shifted inland towards agricultural areas, likely the cause behind the unsustainable population increase in the 20th century. This shift may help to contribute to increased goose survival rates, leading to overgrazing on tundra breeding grounds. In March 2015, 2,000 snow geese were killed in northern Idaho from an avian cholera epidemic while flying their spring migration to northern Canada . The snow goose

1482-739: The Beaufort and Chukchi Seas. AWL's work has had long-standing support from President Jimmy Carter , who remains the Honorary Chairman of the Board of Directors. Andrew Revkin: Who's Backing Gingrich's ‘Drill Here' Push? (NY Times) This Alaska-related article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . This article about an environmental organization is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Arctic National Wildlife Refuge The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge ( ANWR , pronounced as “ ANN-warr ”) or Arctic Refuge

1560-639: The Kaktovik and the Arctic Village . Kaktovik is an Inupiaq village of about 250 current residents located within the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge along the Beaufort Sea . The Inupiaq Village is used as a traditional summer fishing and hunting location. Furthermore, this location also became a usual place for commercial whalers in the late 1800s, which led them to become permanent residents in

1638-493: The Porcupine caribou . The Arctic was found to have an immense amount of oil and natural gas deposits. Specifically, ANWR occupies land beneath which there may be 7.7 to 11.8 billion bbl (1.22 to 1.88 billion m ) of oil. In Alaska, it is known for major oil companies to work with the indigenous groups, Alaska native corporations , to drill and export millions of barrels of oil each year. Nearly all countries in

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1716-463: The albedo effect . This area for possible future oil drilling on the coastal plains of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, encompasses much of the Porcupine caribou calving grounds. Migratory caribou herds are named after their birthing grounds, in this case the Porcupine River , which runs through a large part of the range of the Porcupine herd. In 2001, some biologists feared development in

1794-618: The binomial name Anas caerulescens and cited Edwards' work. The snow goose is now placed in the genus Anser that was introduced by the French zoologist Mathurin Jacques Brisson in 1760. The scientific name is from the Latin anser , "goose", and caerulescens , "bluish", derived from caeruleus , "dark blue". The snow goose is the sister species to Ross's goose ( Anser rossii ). Two subspecies are recognised: The greater snow goose

1872-483: The greater white-fronted goose , Canada goose , and cackling goose have been observed. Snow geese breed from late May to mid-August, but they leave their nesting areas and spend more than half the year on their migration to-and-from warmer wintering areas. During spring migration (the reverse migration), large flocks of snow geese fly very high and migrate in large numbers along narrow corridors, more than 3,000 mi (4,800 km) from traditional wintering areas to

1950-516: The oil reserves of the country. For Republicans to enable exploitation of the oil, they would need 51 votes in the Senate to pass the House bill that cannot include the ANWR drilling language. People who oppose the drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge believe that it would be a threat to the lives of indigenous tribes . Those tribes rely on the ANWR's wildlife, the animals and plants that reside in

2028-513: The timberline in Greenland , Canada , Alaska , and the northeastern tip of Siberia , and spend winters in warm parts of North America from southwestern British Columbia through parts of the United States to Mexico . In 1750 the English naturalist George Edwards included an illustration and a description of the snow goose in the third volume of his A Natural History of Uncommon Birds . He used

2106-663: The Alaska Industrial Development and Export Authority, won the bids on nine tracts. Two small independent companies, Knik Arm Services LLC and Regenerate Alaska Inc, won one tract each. The auction generated $ 14.4 million, significantly lower than the $ 1.8 billion estimate from the Congressional Budget Office in 2019, and the auction did not receive bids from any oil and gas companies. On January 20, 2021, newly inaugurated President Joe Biden issued an executive order to temporarily halt drilling activity in

2184-512: The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. The photos he took were published in the book Seasons of Life and Land . Banerjee's photographs of the Refuge were exhibited at the Smithsonian Institution 's National Museum of Natural History , and controversy erupted when his captions for the photos were altered and the exhibit was moved to a far corner of the museum. Some charged that Alaska Senator Ted Stevens had used political pressure to remove

2262-660: The Arctic Refuge is within the Interior Alaska-Yukon lowland taiga ( boreal forest ) ecoregion. Beginning as predominantly treeless tundra with scattered islands of black and white spruce trees , the forest becomes progressively denser as the foothills yield to the expansive flats north of the Yukon River. Frequent forest fires ignited by lightning result in a complex mosaic of birch, aspen, and spruce forests of various ages. Wetlands and south-flowing rivers create openings in

2340-440: The Arctic are experiencing severe impacts, including effects on migration, from disturbances such as noises from industrial activity, offshore seismic oil exploration, and well drilling. The people who live in this Refuge have become accustomed over thousands of years to both survive and prosper in these harsh conditions. There are two villages whose history are tied to the Arctic Refuge and have been for thousands of years which are

2418-433: The Arctic are rushing to claim the resources and minerals found in the Arctic. This rivalry is known as the "New Cold War" or "Race for the Arctic". Republicans argued for years that drilling should be allowed since there would be over $ 30 million of revenue and create as many as 130,000 jobs. Furthermore, Republicans claim that drilling will make the United States more independent from other countries because it will increase

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2496-400: The Arctic compared to the rest of the world. According to NASA , the Arctic is the first place that will be affected by global climate change. This is because shiny ice and snow reflect a high proportion of the sun's energy into space . The Arctic gradually loses snow and ice, bare rock and water absorb more and more of the sun's energy, making the Arctic even warmer. This phenomenon is called

2574-507: The Arctic experiences cold and darkness which makes it one of the unique places on Earth . North America's two largest alpine lakes (Peters and Schrader) are located inside the refuge. ANWR is nearly the size of South Carolina . The refuge supports a greater variety of plant and animal life than any other protected area in the Arctic Circle . A continuum of six different ecozones spans about 200 miles (300 km) north to south. Along

2652-464: The Arctic region is the first to be affected by climate change. Shorefast ice tends to form later in fall. In September 2007, the concentration of sea ice in the Arctic Ocean was significantly less than ever previously recorded. Although the total area of ice built up in recent years, the amount of ice continued to decline because of this thinning. Climate change is happening faster and more severe in

2730-504: The Arctic region. These decisions come as President Donald Trump's administration is proceeding with planned lease sales in the Refuge. On August 17, 2020, Interior Secretary David Bernhardt announced an oil and gas leasing program in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. This will allow for future drilling in the Refuge. An auction for the land leases was held on January 6, 2021. Of the twenty-two tracts up for auction, full bids were offered for only eleven tracts. An Alaskan state entity,

2808-534: The Arctic's diverse wildlife species reside. There are two sides of this debate: support for drilling and the opposition of drilling. In 1956, Olaus and Mardy Murie led an expedition to the Brooks Range in northeast Alaska, where they dedicated an entire summer to studying the land and wildlife ecosystems of the Upper Sheenjek Valley . The conclusion resulting from these studies was an ever-deeper sense of

2886-642: The BLM's final statement underestimated the climate impacts of the oil leases because they viewed global warming as cyclical rather than human-made. The administration's plan calls for "the construction of as many as four places for airstrips and well pads, 175 miles [282 km] of roads, vertical supports for pipelines, a seawater-treatment plant and a barge landing and storage site." In response to public outcry and concerns of worsening climate change, U.S. banks Goldman Sachs , JPMorgan Chase and Wells Fargo publicly announced that they will not fund oil and gas projects in

2964-525: The English name "The blue-winged goose". Edwards based his hand-coloured etching on a preserved specimen that had been brought to London from the Hudson Bay area of Canada by James Isham . When in 1758 the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus updated his Systema Naturae for the tenth edition , he placed the snow goose with the ducks and geese in the genus Anas . Linnaeus included a brief description, coined

3042-558: The Gwich'in have called the coastal plain of the Arctic Refuge "Iizhik Gwats’an Gwandaii Goodlit" (The Sacred Place Where Life Begins). Climate change is rapidly affecting the Arctic region, with melting polar ice caps leading to rising sea levels and warming due to the albedo effect. The potential oil drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge threatens the Porcupine caribou herd's calving grounds, while climate change forces polar bears to change their hunting and denning patterns. Additionally,

3120-567: The Hudson Bay coastline. The cause of this overpopulation may be the heavy conversion of land from forest and prairie to agricultural usage in the 20th century. Since the late 1990s, efforts have been underway in the U.S. and Canada to reduce the North American population of lesser snow and Ross's geese to sustainable levels due to the documented destruction of tundra habitat in Hudson Bay and other nesting areas. The Light Goose Conservation Order

3198-640: The Interior, and signed by Fred Andrew Seaton , Secretary of the Interior under U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower . In 1980, Congress passed the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act . The bill was signed into law by President Jimmy Carter on 2 December 1980. Eight million acres (32,000 km ) of the refuge are designated as wilderness area , the Mollie Beattie Wilderness . The expansion of

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3276-432: The Refuge would "push caribou into the foothills, where calves would be more prone to predation." Though numbers fluctuate, there were approximately 169,000 animals in the herd in 2010. Their annual land migration of 1,500 miles (2,400 km), between their winter range in the boreal forests of Alaska and northwest Canada over the mountains to the coastal plain and their calving grounds on the Beaufort Sea coastal plain,

3354-408: The Refuge. Snow geese The snow goose ( Anser caerulescens ) is a species of goose native to North America. Both white and dark morphs exist, the latter often known as blue goose . Its name derives from the typically white plumage . The species was previously placed in the genus Chen , but is now typically included in the "gray goose" genus Anser . Snow geese breed north of

3432-472: The United States. This refuge system created the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918 which conserves the wildlife of Alaska. In 1929, a 28-year-old forester named Bob Marshall visited the upper Koyukuk River and the central Brooks Range on his summer vacation "in what seemed on the map to be the most unknown section of Alaska." In February 1930, Marshall published an essay, "The Problem of

3510-518: The Wilderness" , a spirited defense of wilderness preservation in The Scientific Monthly , arguing that wilderness was worth saving not only because of its unique aesthetic qualities, but because it could provide visitors with a chance for adventure. Marshall stated: "There is just one hope of repulsing the tyrannical ambition of civilization to conquer every niche on the whole earth. That hope

3588-604: The area. In 1954, the National Park Service recommended that the untouched areas in the Northeastern region of Alaska be preserved for research and protection of nature. The question of whether to drill for oil in the National Wildlife Arctic Refuge has been a political controversy since 1977. The debate mainly concerns section 1002 in the ANWR. Section 1002 is located on the coastal plain where many of

3666-524: The bears are known to dig their dens in November, then give birth to one to two tiny cubs in December or January. The mothers then nurse and care for the young until March or early April, when they loom from the dens. After several days adapting to the outside environment, the families leave the dens. They move back to the sea ice to hunt ringed seals and other prey. The cubs always stay with their mothers for about

3744-478: The coast of Northern Alaska and Canada . Due to changes in climate, Polar bears are recorded to now spend more time on land waiting on new sea ice to form, as they depend on sea ice for much of their hunting. This limits their ability to hunt seals to build up fat for hibernation. Much controversial, the polar bears are widely affected by the climate change happening in this region. Pregnant females are forced to move onshore at unusual times to dig their dens. Usually,

3822-521: The coast to the foothills of the Brooks Range . This area of rolling hills, small lakes, and north-flowing, braided rivers is dominated by tundra vegetation consisting of low shrubs , sedges , and mosses . Caribou travel to the coastal plain during June and July to give birth and raise their young. Migratory birds and insects flourish here during the brief Arctic summer. Tens of thousands of snow geese stop here during September to feed before migrating south, and muskoxen live here year-round. South of

3900-545: The coastal plain, the mountains of the eastern Brooks Range rise to nearly 9,000 feet (2,700 m). This northernmost extension of the Rocky Mountains marks the continental divide, with north-flowing rivers emptying into the Arctic Ocean and south-flowing rivers joining the great Yukon River . The rugged mountains of the Brooks Range are incised by deep river valleys creating a range of elevations and aspects that support

3978-496: The exhibit from the spotlight because Senator Barbara Boxer had held up Banerjee's book during a Senate floor debate over oil drilling in the Refuge, but the museum maintained the changes were made "for artistic reasons". Starting in 2004, AWL expanded its work to include ecologically significant areas of Alaska's vast National Petroleum Reserve , the Tongass National Forest , and the outer continental shelf areas of

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4056-554: The forest canopy. Neotropical migratory birds breed here in spring and summer, attracted by plentiful food and the variety of habitats. Caribou travel here from farther north to spend the winter. Other year-round residents of the boreal forest include moose , polar foxes , beavers , Canadian lynxes , martens , red foxes , river otters , porcupines , muskrats , black bears , wolverines , wolves and minks . Each year, thousands of waterfowl and other birds nest and reproduce in areas surrounding Prudhoe Bay and Kuparuk fields and

4134-537: The importance of preserving the area intact, a determination that would play an instrumental part in the decision to designate the area as wilderness in 1960. As Olaus would later say in a 1963 speech to a meeting of the Wildlife Management Association of New Mexico State University, "On our trips to the Arctic Wildlife Range we saw clearly that it was not a place for mass recreation... It takes

4212-589: The land by aircraft , but it is also possible to reach the refuge by boat or by walking (the Dalton Highway passes near the western edge of the refuge). In the United States , the geographic location most remote from human trails, roads, or settlements is found here, at the headwaters of the Sheenjek River . The Arctic is mostly an ocean surrounded by land. The Arctic is relatively covered by water, much of it

4290-636: The lesser snow goose ( C. c. caerulescens ), lives from central northern Canada to the Bering Straits area. The lesser snow goose stands 64 to 79 cm (25 to 31 in) tall and weighs 2.05 to 2.7 kg (4.5 to 6.0 lb). The larger subspecies, the greater snow goose ( C. c. atlanticus ), nests in northeastern Canada. It averages about 3.2 kg (7.1 lb) and 79 cm (31 in), but can weigh up to 4.5 kg (9.9 lb). The wingspan for both subspecies ranges from 135 to 165 cm (53 to 65 in). Long-term pair bonds are usually formed in

4368-539: The lesser snow goose exceeds 5 million birds, an increase of more than 300% since the mid-1970s. The population is increasing at a rate of more than five percent per year. Non-breeding geese (juveniles or adults that fail to nest successfully) are not included in this estimate, so the total number of geese is likely higher. Lesser snow goose population indices are the highest they have been since population records have been kept, and evidence suggests that large breeding populations are spreading to previously untouched sections of

4446-546: The microscopic organisms (such as phytoplankton and algae ) that need them to grow. Marine animals thrive in the Arctic. There are 12 species of marine mammals of the Arctic found in the refuge. They consist of four species of whales , polar bears, the walrus and six species of ice-associated seals, sperm whales, blue whales , fin whales , humpback whales , killer whales , Harbor Porpoise . The Arctic marine food web consists of Primary consumers, Secondary consumers, Tertiary consumers, and scavengers . Marine mammals in

4524-420: The most consistent number of polar bears in the area. The Arctic basin is the shallowest ocean basin on Earth. It is the least salty, because of low evaporation and large current of freshwater from rivers and glaciers. River mouths and calving glaciers , are continually moving ocean currents contribute to a unique marine ecosystem in the Arctic. The cold, circulating water is rich in minerals, as well as

4602-432: The next two and a half years. Polar Bears follow the trace of current carrying sea ice which leads them to travel south. This often leads them to relying on trash abundances for nutrition . This food source impacts the health of polar bears negatively. They also begin targeting unusual animals as prey. The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge is the only refuge that regularly dens polar bears in that local region, and contains

4680-491: The north shore of O'ahu . They were seen and photographed several times over the course of 3-4 months. In Central America , vagrants are frequently encountered during winter. Outside of the nesting season, they usually feed in flocks. In winter, snow geese feed on left-over grain in fields. They migrate in large flocks, often visiting traditional stopover habitats in spectacular numbers. Snow geese frequently travel and feed alongside greater white-fronted geese ; in contrast,

4758-601: The northern coast of the refuge, the barrier islands , coastal lagoons , salt marshes , and river deltas of the Arctic coastal tundra provide habitat for migratory waterbirds including sea ducks , geese , swans , and shorebirds . Fish such as dolly varden and Arctic cisco are found in nearshore waters. Coastal lands and sea ice are used by caribou seeking relief from biting insects during summer, and by polar bears hunting seals and giving birth in snow dens during winter. The Arctic coastal plain stretches southward from

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4836-514: The owls, since they are predatory, were capable of keeping competing predators away from the nests. A similar association as with the owls has been noted between geese and rough-legged hawks . Additional predators at the nest have reportedly included wolves , coyotes and all three North American bear species. Few predators regularly prey on snow geese outside of the nesting season, but bald eagles (as well as possibly golden eagles ) will readily attack wintering geese. The breeding population of

4914-474: The recommendation on ways to combat the growing population and the damage that the snow geese were creating in the arctic breeding grounds. The committee recommended relaxing hunting restrictions and giving hunters a better opportunity to harvest more snow geese on their way back to the breeding grounds in the spring. The suggested restrictions were to allow the use of electronic callers, unplugged shotguns, extended shooting hours, and no bag limits. Two years after

4992-657: The refuge in 1980 designated 1.5 million acres (6,100 km ) of the coastal plain as the 1002 area and mandated studies of the natural resources of this area, especially petroleum . Congressional authorization is required before oil drilling may proceed in this area. The remaining 10.1 million acres (41,000 km ) of the refuge are designated as "minimal management," a category intended to maintain existing natural conditions and resource values. These areas are suitable for wilderness designation, although there are presently no proposals to designate them as wilderness. Currently, there are no roads within or leading into

5070-569: The refuge, but there are a few Native settlements scattered within. On the northern edge of the refuge is the Inupiat village of Kaktovik (population 258) and on the southern boundary the Gwich'in settlement of Arctic Village (population 152). A popular wilderness route and historic passage exists between the two villages, traversing the refuge and all its ecosystems from boreal , interior forest to Arctic Ocean coast. Generally, visitors gain access to

5148-458: The refuge. On June 1, 2021, President Biden suspended all of the oil drilling leases issued by the previous administration, pending a review of the environmental impacts and legal basis of the leases. On September 6, 2023, the Biden administration cancelled the leases. Scientists are noticing that sea levels are rising at increasing rates. Sea levels are rising because polar ice caps are melting at

5226-440: The refuge. In September 2019, the administration said they would like to see the entire coastal plain opened for gas and oil exploration, the most aggressive of the suggested development options. The Interior Department's Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has filed a final environmental impact statement and plans to start granting leases by the end of the year. In a review of the statement the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service said

5304-528: The refuge. Moreover, the practice of drilling could present a potential threat to the region as a whole. When companies are exploring and drilling they are extracting the vegetation and destroying permafrost which can cause harm to the land. In December 2017, Congress passed the Trump administration's tax bill which included a provision introduced by Senator Lisa Murkowski that required Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke to approve at least two lease sales for drilling in

5382-471: The same habitat. Major nest predators include Arctic foxes and skuas . The biggest threat occurs during the first couple of weeks after the eggs are laid and then after hatching. The eggs and young chicks are vulnerable to these predators, but adults are generally safe. They have been seen nesting near snowy owl nests, which is likely a solution to predation. Their nesting success was much lower when snowy owls were absent, leading scientists to believe that

5460-407: The second year, although breeding does not usually start until the third year. Females are strongly philopatric, meaning they will return to the place they hatched to breed. Snow geese often nest in colonies. Nesting usually begins at the end of May or during the first few days of June, depending on snow conditions. The female selects a nest site and builds the nest on an area of high ground. The nest

5538-532: The slope. Hundreds of species of migratory birds visit the refuge yearly, and it is a vital, protected breeding location for them. Snow geese , eiders and snowy owls may be observed as well. Just across the border in Yukon , Canada , are two Canadian National Parks , Ivvavik and Vuntut . The Arctic Refuge is part of the traditional homelands of many bands or tribes of the Gwichʼin people. For thousands of years,

5616-452: The soil where they feed. They are very vocal and can often be heard from more than a mile away. White- and blue-morph birds interbreed and the offspring may be of either morph. These two colors of geese were once thought to be separate species; since they interbreed and are found together throughout their ranges, they are now considered two color phases of the same species. The color phases are genetically controlled. The dark phase results from

5694-585: The tundra. The lesser snow goose travels through the Central Flyway , Mississippi Flyway , and Pacific Flyway across prairie and rich farmland to their wintering grounds on grassland and agricultural fields across the United States and Mexico, especially the Gulf coastal plain . The larger and less numerous greater snow goose travels through the Atlantic Flyway and winters on a relatively more restricted range on

5772-510: The two tend to avoid travelling and feeding alongside Canada geese , which are often heavier birds. The population of greater snow geese was in decline at the beginning of the 20th century, but has now recovered to sustainable levels. Snow geese in North America have increased to the point where the tundra breeding areas in the Arctic and the saltmarsh wintering grounds are both becoming severely degraded, and this affects other species using

5850-402: The unique marine ecosystem of the Arctic basin is being disturbed by industrial noise and oil exploration. The Inupiaq village of Kaktovik, a community that has adapted to this harsh environment over thousands of years, also faces potential disruption. The National Wildlife Refuge System was founded by President Theodore Roosevelt in 1903, to protect immense areas of wildlife and wetlands in

5928-418: The white except on the head, neck and tail tip. The immature blue phase is drab or slate-gray with little to no white on the head, neck, or belly. Both snow and blue phases have rose-red feet and legs, and pink bills with black tomia ("cutting edges"), giving them a black "grin patch". The colors are not as bright on the feet, legs, and bill of immature birds. The head can be stained rusty-brown from minerals in

6006-481: Was also causing critical damage to other varieties of waterfowl species and other wildlife that uses the arctic and sub-arctic grounds for home habitat. The increase in population in substantial amounts raised concern to then DU chief biologist Dr. Bruce Batt who was part of a committee that put together various data and submitted it to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Canadian Wildlife Service with

6084-441: Was established in 1997 and federally mandated in 1999. Increasing hunter bag limits, extending the length of hunting seasons, and adding new hunting methods have all been successfully implemented, but have not reduced the overall population of snow geese in North America. The late 1990s was when the mid-continent population of snow geese was recognized as causing significant damage to the arctic and sub-arctic breeding grounds which

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