In response to the Department of the Interior releasing a final conservation rule that would strengthen protections for millions of acres in the Western Arctic, Evergreen Action Senior Policy Lead for Energy Transition Mattea Mrkusic released the following statement: 

“The Arctic is warming four times faster than the rest of the planet. But that hasn’t deterred Big Oil from threatening delicate ecosystems and accelerating the climate crisis further by drilling for oil and gas in Alaska’s Western Arctic. Now is the time to safeguard this precious and biodiverse ecosystem for future generations. We appreciate the Biden administration’s necessary step to strengthen protections for 13 million acres of Special Areas—which are integral to local communities for food and their ways of life—and we look forward to working with them to end oil and gas drilling on public lands once and for all.” 

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