What is the ANWR?
A. ANWR stands for Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, a 19 million acre wilderness located within the coastal plain of northeast Alaska and Canada. ANWR is the largest refuge in the National Refuge System and features spectacular mountain peaks, interior lakes, tundra wetlands, and coastal plain void of trees. Streams, rivers and gullies within the ANWR drain into the Beaufort Sea. Approximately 92% of this reserve is off-limits to development, with 8 million acres designated Federal Wilderness, currently the most restrictive classification by the US government. A portion of the ANWR coastal plains contain geological structures that hint of oil reserves, and thus the intense national debate of drilling in the ANWR and the impact it would have on the wildlife, flora and fauna.
