Arctic National Wildlife Refuge
The
Arctic National Wildlife Refuge covers about 8,900,000
acres in northeastern
Alaska. It was originally protected by the
United States Congress in
1960, through the lobbying efforts of Olaus and
Mardy Murie, with the Wilderness Society.
The Bush administration, alleged by some to be backed by big oil, wanted to drill for oil in the refuge. The House of Representatives voted in mid-2000 to allow drilling, but in April 2002, the Senate rejected it. The future of the refuge remains uncertain.
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