Drilling for oil in Alaska's wildest places remains the central preoccupation of the oil industry and its allies in Washington, DC, and Alaska.

While much attention has been focused on the Bush administration's relentless efforts to open the pristine Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to drilling, the same administration has been working systematically to open vast areas west of the refuge, as well as the millions of acres of federal waters offshore from Alaska's north coastline. 

Today, over 90 percent of America's arctic coast and much of its offshore waters is available for oil and gas exploration or development.

This map underscores the grim reality: On the North Slope of Alaska, only the coastal plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and a few small areas where leasing has been deferred remain off limits to the oil industry today.

America’s Arctic is home to nearly 200 species of birds and other wildlife, including polar bears, caribou, and muskoxen. The Arctic Ocean is home to walrus, seals, whales and numerous fish species. The Wilderness Society does not oppose all oil and gas development in Alaska, but we believe the most important and sensitive biological and cultural values must be protected from the high-impact affects of oil exploration and development. The wildlife and wilderness values of America’s only arctic ecosystems should remain intact for the benefit of future generations.