Martin Heinrich: “Nestled in the far northeast corner of Alaska is one of the wildest and most untouched places left in North America: The…”

“Nestled in the far northeast corner of Alaska is one of the wildest and most untouched places left in North America: The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. I have been blessed to see this refuge with my own eyes. I have seen its towering peaks; I have seen the critical habitat on the Coastal Plain where caribou drop their calves; and I have seen its polar bears. Over the course of a year in the Arctic Refuge, you might also see one of the last great spectacles of migrating caribou, dueling musk ox straight out of the Pleistocene, or rare spectacled eiders nesting on the Coastal Plain. In fact, the Arctic Refuge is home to hundreds of iconic wildlife species, including 200 species of birds that have called this landscape home since long before humans stepped on this continent. Simply put, the Arctic Refuge is the crown jewel of the American National Wildlife Refuge System, and it has been ever since it was set aside in 1960 by President Eisenhower to protect its wildlife and habitat values. But that is only part of its story. The Arctic Refuge is also deeply connected to the traditions and daily life of the people who have lived there for thousands of years-- longer than this building, this city, this country have existed-- because the refuge is not just land. For wildlife, it is essential habitat. For many people who live there and are sustained by its caribou, this place is literally their grocery store.”