Dear Audubon Advocate,

This week, in a significant step forward for conservation, the Obama administration became the first administration to recommend that the heart of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge—its pristine coastal plain—be permanently protected as Wilderness.

The Arctic Refuge’s coastal plain has never been permanently protected from oil and gas development, and the new Congress is poised for another misguided attempt to allow drilling in this wild and awe-inspiring place.

Send a thank you message to President Obama for his efforts to permanently protect the vulnerable coastal plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge!

More than 200 species of birds rely on the Refuge, along with polar bears, wolves, and vast herds of caribou. To protect this incomparable habitat, the new Comprehensive Conservation Plan for the Arctic Refuge makes clear that the coastal plain should be off-limits for oil and gas development.

Even with this important action, there is more work to be done. Recently re-introduced legislation is necessary to finalize the protection. But today, we are one step closer to finishing the task begun by President Eisenhower in 1960 when he set aside this spectacular landscape as a refuge for birds and wildlife.

This decision is already under attack from powerful special interests. Write to President Obama today to let him know that you support permanent protection for the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge!