The Arctic National Refuge in Alaska has sustained the native Gwich’in people for centuries.
Its coastal plain has provided the birthing grounds for the caribou of the Porcupine caribou herd, which use its unique ecosystem to bear and rear their young, according to the Gwich’in Steering Committee at ourarcticrefuge.org.
The Gwich’in people call the coastal plain “the sacred place where life begins.”
Protecting the caribou and the Gwich’in way of life is a matter of basic human rights.
Yet it is obvious that President Donald Trump and the Grand Ol’ Party leadership in Congress care more about filling the pockets of the oil industry leaders than they care about the concerns of the American people who strongly support Arctic National Refuge protection.
I am furious that Congress has failed to listen to the public and to reject this wildly unpopular tax scheme.
However, I applaud Rep. Derek Kilmer and Sens. Maria Cantwell and Patty Murray for their vote against the tax bill, which opened up development of the refuge (Forbes, Jan. 4). I urge them to keep fighting to protect this iconic public land for future generations to enjoy.
These legislators will be joining a majority of the American people in the ongoing effort to ensure that oil rigs never appear in the refuge and to demand that the coastal plain is protected once and for all.
Robert B. Kaplan,
Port Angeles