The Bush Administration is trying to open the fragile Teshekpuk Lake area to oil and gas leasing – even though it's one of the most ecologically important wetland areas in the Arctic region.

Teshekpuk Lake needs continued protection, not new drilling fields. Opening this wildlife-rich, pristine wilderness to drills isn't necessary – and for thousands of animals, plants, and Native people, it could be disastrous. Send your letter by Oct. 29 and we will hand deliver it in Alaska!

Dear [ Decision Maker ] ,

I am strongly opposed to oil and gas drilling in Teshekpuk Lake area of the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska (NPR-A). One of the most important wetlands in the Arctic, the Teshekpuk Lake region provides habitat for a million birds, including threatened species like the Spectacled Eider, as well as the 45,000-member Teshekpuk Lake Caribou Herd.

The draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement issued by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) could lead to the opening of this ecologically important wetland habitat to lease sales. The region's Native residents have expressed strong opposition to the plan. So have sportsmen's groups, scientists, conservationists and the public at large.

The area around Teshekpuk Lake should remain what it is today: an irreplaceable, unbroken, core wildlife habitat for caribou, molting geese and thousands of other birds and mammals and a place where generations of Alaska residents have hunted, fished and pursued their subsistence ways of life.

I ask you to not open the Teshekpuk Lake area to drilling for oil and gas. I also ask that the BLM protect the full range of the area's values, from subsistence to recreation to the health of fish and wildlife populations. The BLM should ensure strict adherence to environmental standards during every phase of nearby oil and gas operations.

Such a decision is the only appropriate one for this globally important wetland habitat. Thank you for your consideration.

Sincerely,

Campaign Launched:
October 18, 2007