For a while it seemed like the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge had been saved from oil rigs. But since Trump was elected every bad idea we thought we'd blocked is back in play. After decades of bipartisan support for protecting one of the last pristine, untouched wild places in America, we are facing a final federal budget that would allow drilling in the Arctic. This budget currently moving through Congress calls for revenue from Arctic drilling to pay for tax cuts for the wealthy.
On this episode of Locus Focus we talk with Nicole Whittington-Evans, Alaska Regional Director of The Wilderness Society, about what can be done to stop this from happening.
As Alaska Regional Director, Nicole Whittington-Evans has worked with tribes, members of the public, conservation partners and land managing agencies to advance conservation measures in the state of Alaska. She has worked on national wildlife refuge, forest and park issues, as well as Bureau of Land Management and wilderness lands conservation. She currently leads a team of staff focusing on Arctic issues, including the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, the western Arctic’s National Petroleum Reserve and the Arctic Ocean.
- KBOO