YUKON FLATS NOT FOR SALE

Last July, we asked you to contact the Alaska Department of Natural Resources to stop taking proposals for oil and gas exploration in the Yukon Flats. Sadly, the state DNR ignored the voice of the people most impacted, and issued an exploration permit to Hilcorp, a privately held exploration and production company based in Houston, Texas.

Hilcorp has a horrific history of environmental and safety violations, including oil spills, on-site deaths, and numerous other violations. Hilcorp should not be operating in Alaska at all, and especially not in the Yukon Flats - a rich area of wetlands, forest, and bogs, on the confluence of the Yukon River, Porcupine River, and Chandalar River in central Alaska - is an irreplaceable natural treasure, teeming with biodiversity and supporting a vast array of wildlife.

The potential long-term consequences of industrial development outweigh any short-term economic gains. Clean water and land are a necessity for the Indigenous people of the Yukon Flats. Yukon King salmon are already facing severe habitat loss throughout the watershed, and further oil and gas development will only contribute to the continued loss and fragmentation of the freshwater habitat the salmon need for their survival. Make your voice heard and tell The Alaska Department of Natural Resources that the Yukon Flats is not for sale and to revoke Hilcorp's exploration permit.

Send an email to them below or check out these talking points and create your own email. This vital area should be protected, and all future oil and gas exploration proposals should be rejected. Emails to Alaska Department of Natural Resources due by October 22nd.