Porcupine caribou

CPAWSYukon_ArcticRefuge_EIS_Infographic (3)

October 25 2023

Where We Stand on the Arctic Refuge and What You Can Do

CPAWS Yukon Blog, BlogArcticRefuge Arctic Refuge, Porcupine caribou

Written by Laurence Fox, Campaigns Coordinator | October 25, 2023
A shortened version of this post appeared in the Wednesday, October 18th, 2023 edition of the Yukon News.

The cancellation of the remaining leases in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge this past September was, and is, wonderful news for the Porcupine Caribou, the Gwich’in which have worked tirelessly to protect them, and everyone who loves, cares for, and wants to preserve wild places.

What comes next, though, for the Arctic Refuge?

Honestly? That’s hard to say. It’s a complicated process, legally and politically speaking. Where we’re at with the Arctic Refuge is largely contained within an 800-plus page report written in a mix of industrial mining jargon, data sets, and legally-nebulous bureaucratese that the average person needs a pot of black coffee and a thermal lance to break into, which certainly doesn’t make understanding things any easier. Having spent the last three weeks up to my eyeballs in this report I can tell you, however, that the nuts and bolts of the situation is this:

If you care about the Porcupine Caribou, wildlife conservation, climate change, First Nation rights and sovereignty, Canadian-American relations, the fundamental principles of democracy, or any combination thereof you should be paying attention to this.

Photo by Peter Mather.

Here’s why:

Way back in 2017, the Trump Administration passed the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, which, as the name implies, was mostly about cutting taxes and creating jobs in the name of incentivizing economic growth. As you would quite reasonably expect, cutting taxes means less money for government spending, and the Tax Act was expected to cost around US$1.9 trillion, or about the same as the total GDP of Canada for the same year.

To help offset the upfront costs of this, the Trump Administration slapped a rider on the tail end of the Tax Act (page 182 of 185, specifically) authorizing the sale of oil and gas leases in the “1002 Area” of the Coastal Plains within the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge–around 1.5 million acres of sea-swept, mountain-rimmed Northern wilderness which also happens to contain the calving grounds of the Porcupine Caribou Herd, sacred to the Gwich’in.

(Not to spoil the ending for you, but the first round of lease sales generated a paltry US$16.5 million, or about one percent of what had been expected.)

To make these lease sales happen, however, the legislation which governs the Arctic Refuge, had to be altered. Prior to 2017, the Arctic Refuge had four express purposes: to conserve animals and plants in their natural diversity, to ensure a place for subsistence hunting and gathering activities, to protect water quality and quantity, and to fulfill international wildlife treaty obligations. When it passed the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, the Trump Administration added a fifth; to “provide for an oil and gas leasing program within the Coastal Plain.”

The Act also directs the Secretary of the Interior to “establish and administer a competitive oil and gas program for the leasing, development, production, and transportation of oil and gas in and from the Coastal Plains,” making it a legal obligation to ensure lease sales happen.

What that means is that the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act makes oil and gas leasing an express, legal purpose of the refuge, regardless of who the President or the Secretary of Interior is. To this end, it specifies not only how much of the area must be put up for oil and gas leasing– a minimum of 400,000 hectares, or an area about twice the size of two Tombstone Territorial Parks–but also requires no less than two leasing sales be held, the second of which must be held no later than December 2024.

In other words, the U.S. government unilaterally decided to not only start an oil and gas leasing program in the middle of a wildlife refuge, a move in direct conflict with the original intentions of the Arctic Refuge, smack dab in the middle of the Porcupine Caribou Herd’s calving grounds, but made it illegal not to do so.

Under American law, when something like oil and gas leasing in the Arctic Refuge is proposed, it triggers the need for an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). An EIS assesses the potential impacts of a project on both people and the environment and then makes recommendations about whether or not that project should proceed, and with what mitigations in place. Moreover, the government agency proposing the project is in charge of compiling the EIS and deciding if what it wants to do is okay after the EIS is complete. Although all projects have to work within Federal, state, and local environmental laws, it’s up to the agency–in this case, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM)– to determine their application within its EIS.

An EIS is supposed to look at all the potential environmental and human costs and benefits of a project, design ‘alternatives’–imaginary scenarios used to create baseline expectations about how a project might impact an area under differing development situations–consult scientists, experts and the community about those situations, and then make a decision based on those alternatives and the feedback around them. In this case, however, the administration wasn’t looking at whether or not the leases should be issued, but under what conditions they would be issued.

The Trump Administration had made it a foregone conclusion that those leases had to be offered up for sale, whether anyone wanted them to be sold (or wanted to buy them) or not.

If this sounds a bit like telling students to turn in their homework, grade their own assignments, and then decide if they’ve passed or failed the course, that’s only because it is– and that’s exactly what happened with the initial EIS issued in 2019 under the Trump Administration.

The 2019 EIS ultimately recommended all 1.5 million acres of the Coastal Plains be put up for leasing, with the fewest restrictions and the most aggressive development options possible. Most of the recently canceled leases–there were seven of them, all held by the State of Alaska, a handful and a half of the 11 sold in early 2021–were all issued under the original EIS. That EIS was, as you would expect, found to be so legally, methodically, and scientifically flawed that the Biden Administration ordered the whole thing binned like Tuesday’s tuna sandwich on a Friday afternoon.

One of the first things incoming-President Joe Biden did in 2021 was throw a hold on all development in the Arctic Refuge and order a Supplementary Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS) be undertaken. This SEIS restarted the consultation process–if not from square one then from square two or three–which technically makes it a mulligan more than a “supplement.”

This brings us to where we are now, being asked to comment a second time on an environmental assessment which is inherently flawed because it legally has to conclude that leasing in the Arctic Refuge will take place.

Okay… so now what?

The bad news is that there’s no way to stop the lease sale–no matter what happens, they are going to put a minimum of 400,000 hectares up for potential development. The law says they have to. The only way to stop it would be to change the law, and the political will doesn’t exist for that in Washington.

The good news is while it’s not perfect, this EIS is still better than the original, and offers better alternatives with more restrictions on development. Of the three alternative development scenarios being practically considered by BLM, one (almost) fully protects the Porcupine Caribou Herd’s calving grounds from development.

Moreover lease sales are not the same thing as development in the Arctic Refuge. They don’t just get a piece of paper that says “sure, go ahead and drill here” and start building oil wells the next day–they may buy a lease and never develop it. Likewise, when the first leases were made available, it was with the fewest possible restrictions on development, and even then the industry found them about as appetizing as a wet bologna sandwich and made very few bids. Just because leases are made available doesn’t mean anyone is actually going to buy them. The ultimate hope is that decision makers will choose the most restrictive scenario that best protects the Porcupine Caribou Herd and all the other treasures of refuge, a scenario that is at odds with making developing the Arctic Refuge a good business choice.

This is all… frustrating at best, but the fight isn’t over. There’s still time for action. For one thing, you can actually go and comment on the SEIS. Tell the U.S. government you won’t accept any development in the Arctic Refuge. You can pop over to the CPAWS Yukon website and sign our campaign letter, or you can write your own.

Photo by Ken Madsen.

You can also support the Arctic Refuge and the Porcupine Caribou by talking about the Arctic Refuge; share a post, tell your friends, tweet about it.

A bunch of rich people want to roll into what’s ostensibly a wildlife refuge and start putting holes in the ground where the Porcupine Caribou raise their babies so they can slurp up oil and gas and walk away a little bit richer than they were before.

Does that seem right to you? Does that seem like something that’s good? Do you think it’s possible to have a wildlife refuge remain a refuge if you turn it into an oilfield?

I don’t think that’s even remotely possible, I don’t think that’s right and I don’t think that’s good.

If you don’t either, then say something. The Arctic Refuge needs you too.

January 25 2019

I read the Draft Environmental Impact Statement on drilling in the Arctic Refuge, so you don’t have to.

CPAWS Yukon Blog, BlogArcticRefuge Arctic Refuge, blog, EIS, Porcupine caribou

Header Image: Ken Madsen
Written by: Malkolm Boothroyd, Campaigns Coordinator

Just before the Christmas holidays began, the U.S. Bureau of Land Management released its Draft Environmental Impact Statement (Draft EIS) on oil and gas leasing in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. While the rest of my family was decorating trees I was reading about pipelines and processing facilities on the fragile Arctic tundra. While my nieces and nephew put out goodies for reindeer, I was thinking about the Porcupine caribou herd — and how they would suffer if drilling was ever allowed in their calving grounds.

I’ve read (most of) the 756 page statement, so that you don’t have to. The U.S. Government is rushing to authorize oil and gas drilling, and it shows in the shoddiness of its environmental review. Now it’s time for everyone to comment on how terrible the Draft EIS is. CPAWS Yukon has made it easy — you can add your name to our open letter and send it to the Bureau of Land Management with a single click.

Our platform also makes it easy to personalize your letter. If you have time, I’d love for you to add some specifics about why the Draft EIS is so inadequate. As a pointer here are my five biggest problems with the Draft EIS.

The Draft EIS doesn’t acknowledge Gwich’in communities within Canada when determining which communities would be “appreciably affected” by changes to Porcupine caribou populations or movements. The U.S. Government needs to comprehensively evaluate the social, cultural and health impacts on all Gwich’in communities that rely on the Porcupine caribou herd.

The Draft EIS downplays how important the Arctic Refuge is for the Porcupine caribou herd, and doesn’t properly address the importance of the Coastal Plain for caribou after they calve. The Draft EIS states that the Porcupine caribou herd would not experience major impacts from drilling, but provides almost no evidence to back up this claim. The Draft EIS fails to provide a quantitative analysis of what could happen to the herd if drilling occurs. Tell the U.S. Government that 100% of the Coastal Plain is critical calving and post-calving habitat for the Porcupine caribou. The U.S. Government must undertake a robust, cautionary and evidence-based approach to studying the impacts of drilling on the Porcupine caribou herd.

The Porcupine caribou herd is critical for ecosystems, communities and economies across northern Canada. Drilling in the Arctic Refuge could have serious transboundary (cross-border) impacts on Canada. The Draft EIS fails to consider transboundary impacts of oil and gas drilling in the Arctic Refuge. The term ‘transboundary’ doesn’t even show up. Canadians need to tell the U.S. Government to comprehensively evaluate the transboundary impacts of drilling in the Arctic Refuge.

The Draft EIS fails to adequately address cumulative impacts. The cumulative effects assessment on the Porcupine caribou herd is a mere five sentences long, while the polar bear assessment devotes a single sentence to climate change. Tell the U.S. Government that such superficial assessments of cumulative impacts are unacceptable.

The scenarios offered by the Draft EIS are development, development, or development. Each scenario offered by the U.S. Government opens more of the Arctic Refuge to oil and gas leasing than the minimum required under the tax bill that originally opened the Refuge to drilling. Two scenarios open virtually the entirety of the Coastal Plain to leasing, while the third scenario offers over 1 million acres. The Arctic Refuge is too important for oil drilling, anywhere.

It’s critical that Canadians tell the U.S. Government just how flawed the Draft EIS is. Putting our concerns on the public record will help hold the U.S. accountable to its environmental laws.

Take action here: https://action.cpaws.org/page/35106/action/1

P.S. once you write your comment, you get to see a gallery of adorable baby Arctic animals called “Puffy and Fluffy”

To learn about the Porcupine caribou herd and their journey, click here.

June 19 2018

Canadians have made their voices clear: There is no place for oil and gas extraction in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge

CPAWS Yukon News Arctic Refuge, consultation, DEIS, news, Porcupine caribou

OTTAWA (Tuesday, June 19, 2018) — The Vuntut Gwitchin First Nation, Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society, Yukon Chapter (CPAWS Yukon) and Nature Canada together are making sure the U.S. Government knows there is no place for oil and gas extraction in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Today is the final day of the U.S. Bureau of Land Management’s public scoping period in advance of its environmental review of oil and gas drilling in the Arctic Refuge. More than 12,000 Canadians have submitted comments and signatures to the U.S. Government, urging the cross-border impacts of oil and gas drilling be addressed.

Every spring the longest land mammal migration on Earth takes place as the Porcupine caribou herd crosses the Yukon and Northwest Territories to give birth in the Arctic Refuge. The Trump administration’s push for oil and gas extraction would strike the heart of these calving grounds, which could have disastrous impacts on the health of the herd and on the Gwich’in communities that rely on caribou for their culture and livelihood.

Quotes:

Dana Tizya-Tramm, Councilor, Vuntut Gwitchin First Nation: “From a people that understands resources extremely well by living in the unforgiven environments and climates of the Arctic North, we see the unilateral development of the wellspring of Arctic ecosystems as a significant threat to indigenous peoples, the lands, animals, and our collective futures. It must be known to produce oil and gas from this area can only be done so by manipulating environmental law and trampling human, and indigenous rights.”

Brook Brisson, Senior Staff Attorney at Trustees for Alaska: “Protecting the coastal plain of the Arctic Refuge is of international importance. The Porcupine caribou herd migrates through Canada to return to the coastal plain in Alaska to calve and replenish themselves each year. Borders do not mean anything to their survival, but habitat and protected ecosystems do. American laws recognize the international importance of the wildlife in this region, and international agreements give Canadians an important voice in this process. We will ensure that the laws and agreements within and between our countries are upheld.”

Chris Rider, Executive Director of CPAWS Yukon : “The impacts from oil drilling in the Arctic Refuge would not stop at the U.S. – Canada border. Drilling in the Porcupine caribou herd’s calving grounds could have devastating impacts across Alaska, the Yukon and the Northwest Territories. It’s critical that Canadian’s stand with the Gwich’in and say no to drilling in the Arctic Refuge.”

Graham Saul, Executive Director of Nature Canada: “It is critical we work alongside CPAWS Yukon and the Vuntut Gwitchin to ensure Canadian voices are included in this environmental review. Today’s submission of 12,000 Canadian signatures and comments is an incredible opportunity for Canadians to speak directly to the U.S. government about the serious and irreversible impact oil and gas development would have on one of the last, healthy barren-ground caribou herds on earth. It is Nature Canada’s mission to protect our wildlife areas and countless species that depend on this habitat. We have been doing this for more than 75 years and have helped protect more than 63 million acres of wildlife areas.

Arctic Refuge Background

The Arctic Refuge is home over 200 species of birds, which migrate to six continents and every state in the United States. The Arctic Refuge provides important habitat for polar bears, grizzly bears, wolves and wolverines. It was established by President Eisenhower in 1960 and expanded by President Carter in 1980. In 2017, a provision included in President Trump’s tax overhaul opened parts of the Refuge’s Coastal Plain to oil and gas development.

High-quality images of the Arctic Refuge available for media use:

https://drive.google.com/drive/u/0/folders/14m9LLrjivux_uTByUhEDJeatPPnN5g31

For comment please contact:

Dana Tizya-Tramm
Councilor, Vuntut Gwitchin First Nation
(867) 333-4335 (cell)

Adil Darvesh
CPAWS Yukon
867-393-8080 x 9
adarvesh@cpawsyukon.org

Janet Weichel McKenzie
Nature Canada
(613) 808-4642 (cell)
jweichelmckenze@gmail.com

June 13 2018

Yukon Conservation Society and CPAWS Yukon call for public comments on Arctic Refuge drilling

CPAWS Yukon News Arctic Refuge, consultation, news, Porcupine caribou

WHITEHORSE, Yukon, June 13,2018 – The Yukon Conservation Society and CPAWS Yukon are joining together and urging the U.S. Government to consider the transboundary impacts of oil and gas extraction in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Now is a critical time for Yukoners to voice their support for the Porcupine caribou herd and the Gwich’in. Less than one week remains before the deadline for public comments in the Bureau of Land Management’s scoping period.

The proposed oil and gas extraction would fall in the heart of the Porcupine caribou herd’s calving grounds, which could have disastrous impacts on the health of the herd and on the Gwich’in communities that rely on caribou for their culture and livelihood. “Caribou are an iconic northern animal and a vital part of Gwich’in life,” says Mike Walton, executive director of YCS. “The United States must consult with Canada and the Gwich’in about drilling the calving grounds. Canadians are concerned about the dangers of pursuing oil in caribou country.”

“The Trump administration is attempting to condense its environmental review into an impossibly short time frame,” says Malkolm Boothroyd of CPAWS Yukon. “We have to demand the most comprehensive review possible, and hold them to account if they try to cut corners.” The coastal plain of the Arctic Refuge was opened for development through a provision included within Trump’s controversial tax bill. The U.S. Bureau of Land Management has begun the environmental review process of oil and gas lease sales, and is nearing the end of its 60-day public scoping period.

The Gwich’in Steering Committee, Sierra Club, Alaska Wilderness League, EarthJustice, Nature Canada, Environment America, and The Wilderness Society are among the organizations campaigning for the Arctic Refuge’s protection. In May, investors managing over $2.5 trillion USD in global assets called on the oil and gas industry to leave the Arctic Refuge alone. Yukoners can add their support at cpawsyukon.org/porcupine-caribou until June 19th or by writing in person at CPAWS Yukon’s Arctic Refuge Open House: Monday June 18th from 4-6pm in the CPAWS Office at 506 Steele Street.

Contacts:

Adil Darvesh
Communications Coordinator
adarvesh@cpawsyukon.org
867-393-8080 x9

Julia Duchesne
Outreach & Communications Director
outreach@yukonconservation.org
867-668-5678

References:
[1] Tax Cuts and Jobs Act: Title II, Section 20001:
https://www.congress.gov/115/bills/hr1/BILLS-115hr1enr.pdf

[2] U.S. Bureau of Land Management; Coastal Plain Environmental Impact Statement
https://www.blm.gov/programs/planning-and-nepa/plans-in-development/alaska/coastal-plain-eis

[3] National Committee says barren-ground caribou are threatened; Yukon News
https://www.yukon-news.com/news/national-committee-says-barren-ground-caribou-are-threatened/

[4] Species at Risk Public Registry: Caribou Barren-ground population; COSEWIC
http://www.registrelep-sararegistry.gc.ca/species/speciesDetails_e.cfm?sid=1341

[5] Effects of Petroleum Development on Terrain Preferences of Calving Caribou; Arctic
https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/c4b2/4362c9cf4af2aeb42fce651422aa8a3b88c7.pdf

[6] Investors urge fossil fuel firms to shun Trump’s arctic drilling plans; The Guardian
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/may/14/investors-urge-fossil-fuel-firms-shun-trump-arctic-drilling-plans-alaskan-wilderness

June 5 2018

Encouraged in Anchorage

CPAWS Yukon Blog, BlogArcticRefuge anchorage, Arctic Refuge, blog, Porcupine caribou

Header Image: Anonymous Security Guard
Written by: Malkolm Boothroyd, Campaigns Coordinator

The US Government must of worked really hard to find such an unappealing photo of the Arctic Refuge. #savethegravel

The fingerprints of the fossil fuel industry cover Anchorage, Alaska. BP logos decorate the airport and Exxon Mobil’s name is carved on the plaques beside commemorative trees. The city’s convention centre sits in the shadow of the ConocoPhillips skyscraper. That’s why I was shocked that nobody from any of the oil companies showed up to the convention centre to testify in favour of oil and gas drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, the heart of the Porcupine caribou herd’s calving grounds.

Indigenous leaders and environmental campaigners have so successfully illustrated the importance of the Arctic Refuge for human rights and the Porcupine caribou, that some of the most powerful oil companies are wary of associating themselves with the issue. Instead contractors and industry lobbyist groups spoke in their place, reiterating talking points of “responsible oil and gas development,” “world class industrial safety” and “I’m a third-generation Alaskan” with such predictability that I wished I’d drawn up bingo cards. Still, we outnumbered the oil and gas advocates almost two-to-one at the hearing.

Indigenous people travelled from as far away as Kaktovik, St. Paul Island and Old Crow to speak for Indigenous rights and protection of the Arctic Refuge. Chris Rider and I made the trip from Whitehorse, to urge the US Government to include transboundary issues be included in the scope of the review. (Add your voice here, it will be super helpful!) Chris spoke about the vulnerability of caribou to industrial development in their calving grounds. I described childhood experiences travelling in the Refuge, and about how caribou, bears, whales and migratory birds do not recognize the Alaska-Canada border.

I left Anchorage empowered. Hearing the powerful words of so many Indigenous leaders, and meeting with the Alaska Wilderness League, The Wilderness Society, Trustees for Alaska and Earthjustice reminded me about how strong our movement is. If I was an oil company I’d be worried too.

Malkolm Boothroyd, CPAWS Yukon Programs Coordinator, speaking at the public consultations in Anchorage, Alaska

Chris Rider, CPAWS Yukon Executive Director, speaking at the public consultation in Anchorage, Alaska

Take Action for the Porcupine caribou

April 20 2018

U.S. government barrels forward to open Canadian caribou herd’s calving grounds to drilling

CPAWS Yukon News Arctic Refuge, Porcupine caribou, scoping period

Whitehorse, Yukon, April 19th, 2018 – Canadians have just been given a chance to speak directly to the U.S. Government about its reckless plan to allow oil and gas development in the birthing grounds of an international barren-ground caribou herd.

The Porcupine caribou herd undergoes the longest land-mammal migration on earth, beginning in their calving grounds in Alaska’s Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, then travelling into the Yukon and Northwest Territories. Gwich’in communities have placed themselves strategically along this herd’s migration routes in order to sustain themselves from this seasonal cycle. They call the calving grounds in the Arctic Refuge “Iizhik Gwats’an Gwandaii Goodlit,” which translates roughly to “The Sacred Place Where Life Begins.”

Last fall, the Trump Administration made international news by putting this globally significant herd — one of the last healthy barren-ground herds left in North America — in jeopardy when U.S. Congress snuck a provision to drill in the Arctic Refuge into an unrelated federal tax bill.

The Vuntut Gwitchin in Old Crow, Yukon, have been fighting for the past four decades to keep development out of the Porcupine caribou’s caving grounds. Though it happened without proper consultation or debate, the passing of this provision marked the first legal step towards peeling back longstanding protections of the Arctic Refuge.

Today, the U.S. Bureau of Land Management issued a Notice of Intent, which initiates a scoping period for a mandatory environmental review of this decision. The bureau will be collecting public comments from both Americans and Canadians for the next 60 days. Canadians now have the chance to speak directly to the U.S. government about how this oil and gas development would have an impact on our country.

“This is a deeply Canadian issue,” said Chris Rider, Executive Director of the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society (CPAWS), Yukon Chapter. “Disturbing this fragile ecosystem could have a disastrous effect on the health of the Porcupine caribou herd and the Gwich’in. We need to tell the Trump administration that the only option at this point is simple: stop. Oil and gas development has no place in the heart of the Porcupine Caribou’s calving grounds”

Caribou are incredibly sensitive to light and sound, and any construction in their calving grounds — during one of the most vulnerable phases of their lives —could lead them to abandon the area altogether. The Porcupine caribou have been highlighted as a beacon of hope in the midst of sharp declines by other barren-ground herds across the Canada.3

For the Gwich’in, who rely on the caribou as a main food source, this is an essential food security and human rights issue.

“The Gwitchin’s timeless relationship with the caribou has secured our existence to this day, a relationship that we hold in high regard and with the deepest of respect. The needless threat of developing the Porcupine Caribou Herd’s calving grounds on the coastal plain of Alaska has now elevated this issue to involve all of North America. It is not just the Gwich’in or indigenous peoples’ loss, but all of North America’s last healthy caribou herd whose future is now in question. What does this mean for our collective futures when we no longer show respect for the foundations of our existence? This is a day that signals to the Gwich’in of the northern arctic that our knowledge from before written history and our warnings about the stability of arctic ecosystems are disregarded by US leadership. It is our future generations’ right to continue to enjoy this life-giving relationship with the caribou as we have as the first peoples of these lands. Heed the call, stand with the Gwich’in for what is right, we must each ask ourselves what is more important to us, life, or oil.” – Dana Tizya-Tramm, Councillor, Vuntut Gwitchin Government

The U.S. Bureau of Land Management has said they plan to rush through the environmental review process for the lease sale in just over a year. Using a hurried, predetermined plan to complete this process is incompatible with protecting the ecological integrity of the Arctic Refuge.

“By pushing for a lease sale next year, the administration is admitting that they have no intention of seriously evaluating the negative impacts of oil development on wildlife and these wild lands, which science tells us are significant,” said Jamie Williams, president of The Wilderness Society, a leading American non-profit land conservation organization that CPAWS Yukon is working with on this issue. “The Wilderness Society remains opposed to opening the Arctic Refuge coastal plain to drilling. Local communities and the public’s concerns should be fairly considered and addressed. Americans should be outraged at what is being done to the crown jewel of their National Wildlife Refuge System.”

This scoping period is the first phase of that environmental review process. The information gathered during this comment period must inform what will be reviewed as part of the Environmental Impact Statement on the proposed lease sale.
CPAWS Yukon stands with the Gwich’in as they continue to fight for the land that has sustained them for millennia. For more information read our backgrounder on the scoping period, and visit our campaign page.

Media Contact:
Adil Darvesh
1-867-393-8080 ext.9
adarvesh@cpawsyukon.org

March 15 2018

It’s time to speak out about drilling in the arctic refuge

CPAWS Yukon Blog, BlogArcticRefuge Arctic Refuge, blog, Porcupine caribou

Late last year U.S. Congress passed legislation to open up the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to drilling. It was hugely disappointing news. Any industrial development could have devastating impacts on the health of the Porcupine caribou herd, who migrate to the Arctic Refuge every year to calve.

Want to have your voice heard, but don’t know how? This is your chance. A public consultation period is about to open through the United States Department of the Interior. Since this is a transboundary issue both Americans and Canadians can submit comments.

This going to be a rare and powerful opportunity for Yukoners and Canadians to speak directly to the American government. Stay tuned to our website, Facebook and Twitter, as we’ll be providing a simple way to submit comments as soon as the consultation period begins, which should happen sometime in March.

CPAWS Yukon is stepping up our focus to protect the Porcupine caribou herd. This work is in partnership with American environmental organizations like The Wilderness Society and the Alaska Wilderness League, and Gwich’in nations, both in the U.S. and Canada, who have been fighting to keep industry out of the Arctic Refuge for decades.

We spoke to Mike Anderson from The Wilderness Society about the upcoming consultation period, how it will work and why it’s so important for Canadians to participate.

Mike has been with The Wilderness Society since 1985. His main focus is national forest management and policy. He also helps coordinate all of the society’s litigation activities. In his own words: “This will be our first truly “transboundary” case, so we’re thrilled to be working in partnership with CPAWS Yukon to protect the Refuge and the caribou.”

CPAWS Yukon: In December, U.S. Congress passed legislation to open up the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to drilling. How close are they to actually opening up the refuge?

Mike: The Trump Administration’s Department of the Interior wants to begin selling oil and gas drilling leases in the Arctic Refuge as soon as next year. This assumes they will be able to complete all of the necessary environmental analysis and public involvement within approximately one year, which is a much faster timeline than normal.

CPAWS Yukon: Through a requirement of the National Environmental Policy Act, the U.S. government has to develop an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) in order to sell leases for oil and gas development. What does this process involve, and what sort of impact could it have on whether or not drilling occurs in the Arctic Refuge?

Mike: The first major step in developing an EIS is called “scoping,” in which the Interior Department requests public comment on the issues that should be addressed in the EIS. The second step is the preparation of a draft EIS, which will analyze the environmental effects of the proposed oil and gas leasing and examine a range of alternatives to the proposal. The public will have an opportunity to comment on the draft EIS. The third and final step will be to modify the draft EIS based on public comments and complete a final EIS and issue a Record of Decision.

If the Interior Department’s EIS does not complete a legally adequate analysis of environmental effects and alternatives, the drilling program might be delayed through litigation in U.S. courts. For example, a successful lawsuit filed by the government of Manitoba against the U.S. Interior Department over a water development project near its southern border has resulted in a 12-year delay in the project.

CPAWS Yukon: Canadians will have a chance to submit their comments through the scoping period, which is set to open very soon. What exactly is this scoping period, and why is it so important?

Mike: The scoping period allows the public to comment on the issues that the Interior Department should consider in the EIS, such as what impact the oil leasing and drilling would have on the Porcupine caribou, migratory birds, and other wildlife. The scoping period sets the stage for the remainder of the EIS and decision-making process, indicating what issues are of greatest concern to the public and need to be carefully examined in the EIS.

CPAWS Yukon: What will the process look like for Canadians to submit their comments?

Mike: Canadians will be able to send scoping comments to the Interior Department as members of the public, just like people in the United States. Once the scoping process begins, the Department will provide email and mailing addresses to which the public can send their comments. The scoping comment period is likely to last for 60 days.

CPAWS Yukon: This is a transboundary issue. Yukoners and Canadians are incredibly concerned about potential drilling because the Arctic Refuge is where the Porcupine caribou calve every year. Any development in this sensitive ecosystem could have a devastating impact on the health of the herd. Do our voices matter in this consultation process? How can our submissions make a difference?

Mike: The National Environmental Policy Act requires the Interior Department to consider “transboundary effects” that have been identified during the scoping process. The threat that oil drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge poses to the migratory Porcupine caribou herd in Canada is a perfect example of transboundary effects.

Concerned Canadian citizens and their elected representatives, including First Nations, are best qualified to point out the transboundary effects and insist that they be addressed in the EIS. Scoping comments should also discuss the harmful impacts of oil drilling in the Arctic Refuge to the cultural and economic well-being of the Gwich’in who rely upon the Porcupine caribou.

CPAWS Yukon: What happens after the scoping period closes?

Mike: The Interior Department will prepare a draft EIS on the proposed oil and gas leasing and release it for public comment. That will be a second important opportunity for Canadians to express their views on the importance of protecting the Porcupine caribou from oil drilling, as well as other transboundary issues. The Interior Department may also undertake other pre-leasing activities, such as seismic exploration, for which there could be additional public involvement.

Top photo: The Porcupine caribou herd in Alaska’s Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (photo by Peter Mather)

Bottom photo: Mike Anderson of The Wilderness Society (photo provided)

November 9 2017

Canada unites to protect the porcupine caribou herd

CPAWS Yukon Blog, BlogArcticRefuge Arctic Refuge, blog, Porcupine caribou, united

Canada unites to protect the porcupine caribou herd

Two weeks ago we launched a petition urging Prime Minister Trudeau to speak up against Donald’s Trump’s plan to open the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to drilling. Any industrial activity in the Porcupine caribou’s calving grounds could have disastrous and irreversable effects on the health of the herd and the Gwitchin of Old Crow.

We have been overwhelmed with how the petition has taken off. Over 6,300 signatures! And that number is still rising. What has become perfectly clear: we are uniting in this fight. Yukon Government has spoken out against drilling in the arctic refuge, Canada’s Ambassador to the U.S. has asked U.S. Senate to rethink this dangerous plan, and Yukon MP Larry Bagnell just spoke in the House of Commons about the urgency of protecting these incredible caribou. The Globe and Mail published a powerful editorial emphasizing how the drilling proposal represents an “existential threat to survival” for Gwich’in communities in the Yukon, Northwest Territories and Alaska. The Vuntut Gwitchin of Old Crow have been raising alarm bells for decades, travelling to Washington and throughout the United States in an effort to share the intrinsic connection between their lives and the Porcupine caribou.

Now we need Justin Trudeau to stand up for Canada. We need his voice telling Donald Trump that drilling for oil and gas in the incredible Arctic National Wildlife Refuge is a disastrous plan. We need him to speak up for the caribou and the Gwich’in, before it’s too late.

Time is off the essence. At the end of October, the U.S. Senate passed a budget resolution that brings them one step closer to opening the arctic refuge. Northerners have been resisting industry here for decades, but it’s clear we are now at a critical turning point. We need to step up the fight. If the Republicans keep getting their way, oil could be flowing from this fragile ecosystem within five years.

This is a deeply northern issue. The health of an entire herd and so many Gwich’in communities are at stake. It’s also a global issue. With a population of almost 200,000, Porcupine caribou are one of the last healthy-barren ground herds left in North America. Scientists raised the alarm last year after numbers of barren-ground caribou declined by more than half, with some of the largest herds in decline by over 80 per cent.

The Porcupine caribou herd is the exception. Thanks to a relatively intact range, this herd’s numbers helped give scientists the confidence to designate this species at risk as “threatened” rather than “endangered”. Porcupine caribou are seen as a beacon of hope amidst swift declines of the species across the arctic, but this herd, too could see quick drops in population should their calving grounds – which the Gwich’in consider sacred – turn into a construction site.

We knew Canadians were ready to speak up against Trump’s disastrous, short-sighted plan. That’s why we launched a petition. It’s one step in this fight to show our solidarity, to show that we value the few wild, intact ecosystems we have left on this earth over the short-sighted goals of the extractive industry.

In the words of Democratic Senator Maria Cantwell, a leader in the fight to protect the arctic refuge: “In 50 years, we are going to be dead and the only thing that’s going to matter is whether we’ve preserved a place as unique as this.”

As this political — and deeply local and personal for so many — story continues to heat up, we’ll be doing anything and everything we can to protect the Porcupine caribou and back the incredible efforts of the Vuntut Gwitchin in Old Crow. We’ll keep the petition open until November 24th, so please share widely. We need as many voices as we can get.

Sign the petition here

Porcupine caribou photo by Peter Mather

October 30 2017

Porcupine caribou threatened by drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge

CPAWS Yukon News Arctic Refuge, news, Porcupine caribou, threatened

October 30th — Whitehorse, Yukon

The birthing grounds of one of North America’s last healthy barren-ground caribou herds are at serious risk. Porcupine caribou are seen as a beacon of hope amidst swift declines of the species across the arctic. With both U.S. Congress and the White House pushing to open the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to oil and gas drilling, the health of this herd is now in jeopardy.

Last week the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society Yukon Chapter (CPAWS Yukon) launched a nation-wide petition urging Prime Minister Trudeau to take a stand against the U.S. government’s recent efforts to open the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, where the caribou give birth every spring. The organization is pressing the public to join forces and speak up against any industrial development in this fragile ecosystem, both for the health of the herd and the Vuntut Gwitchin in Old Crow, who rely on the Porcupine caribou for their very survival. In just a few days the petition has garnered over 4,000 signatures.

“If drilling in the Arctic Refuge is allowed to go ahead, the threat to the north and its people cannot be understated,” said Chris Rider, CPAWS Yukon’s Executive Director. “That’s why it’s so important that Justin Trudeau stands up in solidarity with the Gwitchin on behalf of all Canadians to tell the U.S. that this just cannot happen.”

The Porcupine caribou’s calving grounds on the coastal plains of the wildlife reserve have been at risk before, but with U.S. Congress pushing through a budget bill that advances drilling in the refuge, this is the biggest threat in decades.

Barren-ground caribou have the longest land-mammal migration on earth. Scientists raised the alarm last year after numbers declined by more than half, with some of the largest herds in decline by over 80 per cent. The Porcupine caribou is the exception. Thanks to a relatively intact range, this herd’s numbers helped give scientists the confidence to designate this species at risk as “threatened” rather than “endangered”.

Caribou are incredibly sensitive to any environmental changes. Any construction in their territory could lead them to abandon their calving grounds altogether. This could have a grave and irreversible impact on the health of the herd and the Vuntut Gwitchin in Old Crow, who have been fighting to protect these sacred birthing grounds for decades.

-30-

Media Contact: Nadine Sander-Green, 867-393-8080 ext.108, nsander-green@cpawsyukon.org