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History
Alaska's north slope encompasses an immense and spectacular Arctic ecosystem that provides critical habitat for many species of fish and wildlife. Alaska's Arctic is also the site of a major petroleum industry centered near Prudhoe Bay in the central Arctic. The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge stretches east from the oil fields of Prudhoe Bay to the Canadian border. West of Prudhoe Bay lies the Colville River—this is also the eastern boundary of the 23.5-million-acre National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska (NPR-A), the single largest block of public land in the United States.

From the Colville River, west to the Chukchi Sea, Alaska’s Western Arctic region encompasses a vast landscape that remains largely unchanged in character from the lands inhabited by Inupiat Natives during the last millennia. The wilderness values of the Western Arctic rank among the highest on the continent, and the region sustains many species of fish and wildlife that are highly valued resources and the foundation for the subsistence culture of the Inupiat Natives who still live in this region today. Several Native communities exist within the boundaries of NPR-A, while outside its borders is a combination of state, federal, and Native land.

NPR-A was established in 1923 by President Warren Harding as a source of oil for the U.S. Navy. In 1976, Congress transferred management authority from the Navy to the Department of the Interior (DOI) and provided for "maximum protection" of fish, wildlife and other surface values during petroleum exploration in the reserve. In 1980, Congress authorized actual leasing and development, but again called for the Secretary of the Interior to mitigate adverse effects on surface resources. Several “Special Areas” have been designated by the DOI since 1977 in recognition of their wildlife and natural values: Teshekpuk Lake (1.72 million acres), Colville River (2.5 million acres), and the Utukok River Uplands (3.9 million acres).

Wildlife Resources
NPR-A and the surrounding western Arctic region are recognized for their extraordinary wildlife values. For example, the Teshekpuk Lake area represents the most significant goose molting area in the circumpolar Arctic and is used by up to 30 percent of the Brant population in the Pacific Flyway [for more information, download a copy of our "Waterfowl in the Western Arctic" fact sheet (2.5 MB PDF)]. The region is also the major calving area for the 45,000-animal Teshekpuk Lake Caribou Herd. [For more information on geese and caribou in the Teshekpuk Lake area, download a copy of "Wildlife and Oil Development at Teshekpuk Lake" (724 KB, PDF format).

To the south, the Colville River corridor contains one of the world's most dense concentrations of nesting raptors, including Peregrine Falcons, Gyrfalcons, Golden Eagles, and Rough-legged Hawks. Farther west, the Utukok Uplands are the primary calving ground for the Western Arctic Caribou Herd, Alaska's largest, currently numbering about 490,000 animals. This area is also home to unusually large populations of wolves, wolverine, and grizzly bears.

Off-shore of the northwest portions of NPR-A are important habitats for beluga whales, polar bears and seals. This coastal area also provides habitat and denning sites for polar bear. The polar bear is now being actively considered for potential “threatened” species status under the Endangered Species Act due to global climate change effects. This on-shore habitat could become even more important with rapidly diminishing polar ice conditions. The vast wetlands and lakes on the NPR-A coastal plain also provide critical nesting and summering habitat for rare Yellow-billed Loons, threatened Steller's Eiders and Spectacled Eiders, and other water birds..

Development Plans
Although oil and gas exploration and lease sales in NPR-A date back decades, intensive competitive leasing did not begin until the late 1990’s. To date:

• In the Northeast Planning Area, nearly 1.5 million acres have been leased, though the areas north and east of Teshekpuk Lake have yet to be leased.
• A lease sale was scheduled for September 2006 for the areas north and east of Teshekpuk Lake, but the sale was blocked by a federal district court, which found that cumulative environmental impacts had not been adequately addressed.
• In August 2007 the BLM released a draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS) for review and public comment to address the court’s decision; the draft SEIS again discussed alternatives for leasing north and east of Teshekpuk Lake. A final SEIS and proposed action are expected in the spring of 2008 with a possible lease sale in the Teshekpuk Lake area in late summer or early fall of 2008.
• In the Northwest Planning Area, 2.3 million acres have been leased, including western portions of the Teshekpuk Special Area.
• Exploration activities, including seismic work, well drilling, ice and snow road and pad construction, and surface water extraction, have been occurring on Northeast and Northwest leases for the past several years and are expected to increase in the near future.
• Additional lease sales are programmed for the Northeast and Northwest Areas over the next several years.
• Offshore of NPR-A, lease sales are planned for the Chukchi and Beaufort seas.
• The BLM has suspended planning for the 9.2 million-acre South Planning Area that contains the Utukok River Uplands and the upper Colville River Special Areas.

Audubon Study
Because relatively little is known about the Reserve's ecological resources, Audubon carried out an 18-month study to synthesize information on wildlife populations and habitats, as well as on the Reserve's commercial resources. Audubon released its report, "Alaska's Western Arctic: A Summary and Synthesis of Resources," in December 2002. Audubon's senior scientist in Alaska, Dr. John Schoen, was the senior editor. A copy of the entire 240-page report, plus 49 maps, is available in a CD format by request. A short version, "Alaska's Western Arctic: A Resource Synthesis and Conservation Strategy," with selected maps, is available to download in PDF format below.

"Alaska's Western Arctic: A Resource Synthesis and Conservation Strategy"

Audubon Position
Given that it was set aside in 1923 as a petroleum reserve, Audubon does not oppose oil and gas exploration and development in NPR-A, provided that its special places and wildlife resources are protected, and that all oil and gas activities are carried out with the highest environmental standards. One such special place is the area surrounding Teshekpuk Lake. Audubon believes that the unique resources of this area merit maximum protection that can only prudently be obtained by prohibiting oil and gas development.

Continued oil and gas leasing, exploration and development in NPR-A and adjacent state and private lands, coupled with on-going activities in state and federal off-shore areas, can be expected to substantially alter the character of this region in the coming decades. It also reinforces the need to analyze cumulative environmental impacts from a regional and historic perspective, as the recent Federal District Court found.