The Brooks Range Needs Your Voice
The rugged and remote Brooks Range (Gwich'in: Gwazhał) stretches 700 miles from Alaska's Arctic into Canada's Yukon. It's home to some of the most pristine and largely untouched wilderness left in North America. Prized by adventurers, anglers, and hunters, as well as conservationists, the Brooks Range is nevertheless under the threat of industrial development. The proposed Ambler Industrial Road would cut a 200-mile swath through the southern flanks of the Brooks Range, linking up mining opportunities. If the road goes in, that entire stretch would be off-limits to the public, limiting access to cherished areas. It would also, of course, have hugely detrimental impacts on wildlife in an otherwise roadless area. The BLM assembled a massive document listing all of the potential impacts, which you can read here.
But, you can make your voice heard in opposition.
Patagonia is spearheading an initiative to get as many public comments as possible to Tracy Stone-Manning, the BLM's director. So far, they've helped send over 50,000 comments to Stone-Manning in opposition to the project. Check out the film below, and, if so inclined, join their "Save Big" campaign to send your comments to the BLM.