Arctic Refuge Protection Act of 2025
This bill, the Arctic Refuge Protection Act of 2025, would permanently designate a large portion of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) Coastal Plain in Alaska as wilderness. Specifically, about 1,559,538 acres would be added to the National Wilderness Preservation System under the Wilderness Act. The designation would apply to land depicted on a 2015 map labeled “Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, Coastal Plain Proposed Wilderness” (Map ID 03-0172). By making this area wilderness, the bill would impose strict protections against development and many forms of use that are allowed in other refuge designations, with the aim of safeguarding wildlife habitat, ecological integrity, and certain subsistence values. The change would override other provisions of the underlying management act to ensure wilderness status.
Key Points
- 1Short title: The act is named the Arctic Refuge Protection Act of 2025.
- 2Area and acreage: Designates approximately 1,559,538 acres of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge’s Coastal Plain as wilderness.
- 3Legal mechanism: The land is designated as a component of the National Wilderness Preservation System under the Wilderness Act, creating strong, long-term protections.
- 4Boundary reference: Boundaries follow the 2015 map titled “Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, Coastal Plain Proposed Wilderness,” Map ID 03-0172.
- 5Superseding language: The designation is stated to be effective “notwithstanding any other provision of” the related act, ensuring wilderness status despite other management requirements.