Congress has reintroduced legislation that would protect the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge from oil and gas exploration by designating it as a wilderness area. We urge you to speak up now and ask members to cosponsor this legislation.
In recent years, there have been attempts at lease sales under the first Trump administration and the Biden administration. Neither of these sales yielded many bidders, and the area has remained undeveloped. On his first day in office, President Trump signed an executive order concerning Alaska’s natural resources, with a particular focus on fossil fuels, bringing renewed attention to this issue. H.R.1, which was signed into law on July 4, 2025, mandated 4 lease sales in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge by 2032. The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, located in the northeast of Alaska, is the largest national wildlife refuge in the United States. The executive order contains specific reference to leasing the refuge for oil and gas drilling. Permanent protection for this region can only be granted by Congress.
The Episcopal Church has supported protection for the refuge since 1991, motivated by our close relationship with the Gwich’in, a First Nations people. They call this land Iizhik Gwats’an Gwandaii Goodlit, “the Sacred Place Where Life Begins,” and its protection is essential to preserving their identity, faith, and way of life. We stand in solidarity with them and with Indigenous people worldwide who often have deep ties between their faith and the natural environment.
Drilling in the Arctic Refuge would devastate one of the most diverse ecosystems in the region. Noise pollution and oil spills resulting from exploration and drilling could imperil wildlife, including the Porcupine caribou, an endangered species that is critical to the Gwich’in way of life.
Please contact your members of Congress and urge them to cosponsor the Arctic Refuge Protection Act of 2025 (S.1519/H.R.3067) so that we can permanently protect this vital region of our planet.
General Convention Resolutions:
2015-C053: Support Subsistence Rights of Indigenous Cultures
1991-D125: Oppose Oil Development in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge
Additional Resources:
Episcopal Church Statement on the Oil & Gas Lease Sale in the Arctic Refuge