Arctic National Wildlife Refuge

The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge is a 19,286,722-acre refuge in northeastern Alaska, with a northern coastline and vast inland forest, taiga, and tundra regions, home to a diverse range of endemic mammal species, including polar bears, grizzly bears, and American black bears. The refuge is part of the traditional homelands of the Gwich'in people and is a vital, protected breeding location for hundreds of species of migratory birds. The refuge has faced threats from potential oil drilling and climate change, which has led to rising sea levels, warming, and disruptions to the unique marine ecosystem. The refuge was first protected by the National Wildlife Refuge System founded by President Theodore Roosevelt in 1903, and has since been the subject of conservation efforts by organizations and individuals, including forester Bob Marshall, who advocated for wilderness preservation in his 1930 essay "The Problem of the Wilderness".learn more on wikipedia