Over 300 Businesses Across 50 States Call for the Protection of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge
Today over 300 businesses across the country released a statement calling for the protection of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge following recent news of the Trump administration opening the refuge to oil and gas leasing.
Washington Wild worked with local partners and businesses encouraging them to take action by signing the nation-wide pledge. Of the 300 signers, 56 are based in Washington state.
The letter calls on oil and gas corporations to not violate the Refuge’s biological heart and to listen to the will of the people, including the Gwich’in Indigenous community for which the coastal plain of the refuge is sacred ground. The Arctic National Refuge is a national treasure that must be protected for future generations.
The statement was released amidst the commemoration of the 60th anniversary of the Arctic Refuge on December 6, following an announcement from Bank of America joining the other five major U.S. banks in publically refusing to fund oil and gas projects in the Arctic Refuge.
The Trump administration has announced that the oil and gas lease sale will happen on January 6. The sale is the final process to open the refuge to drilling.
The 300 companies urged fellow businesses to refuse bidding on leases in the Arctic Refuge, saying doing so carries great reputational and financial risk.
Read the full business statement release below.