The Grand Canyon is protected. So should the Arctic
I hope that many of us will take a moment on this Fourth of July weekend to reflect on the deeper meaning of the holiday and honor some of the American ideals which so many of us military veterans have fought to uphold. One of those ideals may not get as much attention but is uniquely American and deserves to be celebrated: Our nation’s public lands.
All Americans are co-owners and stewards of 640 million acres of public lands where we can hike, bike, camp, hunt, fish, watch wildlife and so much more. Public lands have been especially important for military veterans, who often return home from defending our country bearing the physical and emotional scars of war.
Our public lands provide a place for our veterans to seek peace, recreate with families and love ones, and find solace. There is something about spending time outside in the vastness of nature that brings a sense of healing and comfort.
It’s one of the reasons why politicians from both political parties have long been advocates of protecting America’s most spectacular lands — whether it’s the
Grand Canyon, Saguaro, Yellowstone or Arches national parks.
These parks – along with national wildlife refuges, national forests and recreation areas – provide incredible opportunities for hunting, fishing, hiking, mountain biking, kayaking or just enjoying wildlife.
Unfortunately, there is one spectacular area that has come under threat in recent months.
The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge is the crown jewel of the wildlife refuge system. Every spring, pregnant porcupine caribou travel some 800 miles to give birth in the coastal plain of the Arctic, while polar bears raise their cubs and 200 different species of migratory birds flock to the region.
All of this is threatened because of a provision in the 2017 tax bill that opened up this pristine wildlife area to oil and gas development.
Scientists have made it clear that energy development in the coastal plain would have irreversible effects. Fossil fuel extraction in this delicate ecosystem would disrupt migrations, destroy polar bear dens and threaten the very existence of the iconic wildlife that live in the region.
The American public has made it clear that it opposes such development. The world’s largest banks have also pledged not to finance such operations. And the initial oil and gas lease sale was a financial failure, raising just a fraction of the revenue projected. Oil and gas drilling in the refuge is an ecological disaster with no financial upside.
In 2008, Sen. John McCain spoke passionately about why he was opposed to drilling in the Arctic: “I don’t want to drill in the Grand Canyon, and I don’t want to drill in the Everglades,” he said. “This is one of the most pristine and beautiful parts of the world.”
The vast beauty of the refuge has provided healing and restoration to so many veterans who travel there. And it has provided hope for thousands of others who have a fishing or hunting trip to the Arctic on their bucket list.
At a time when we’re celebrating all of the American ideals that our military has fought to protect, I urge you to join me in calling on Congress to reverse the terrible provisions that opened up this stunning landscape to destructive development.
The Biden administration has suspended oil and gas leases within the preserve. But it’s time to permanently protect the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.
Retired Rear Admiral Mike Mathis spent 35 years serving in the U.S. Navy. He is a lifelong conservationist and frequently volunteers with conservation and environmental organizations. Reach him at m.mathis@cox.net.