Arctic National Wildlife Refuge

The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) is a protected area in northeastern Alaska covering about 19.6 million acres, the largest refuge in the United States National Wildlife Refuge System. Established in 1960 as the Arctic National Wildlife Range and expanded by the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act in 1980, it stretches about 200 miles from the Arctic Ocean over the Brooks Range into the boreal forest of the Yukon River basin. It is the homeland of the Iñupiat and Gwich’in peoples and habitat for polar bears, caribou, muskoxen and migratory birds [1].

Overview

The refuge covers about 19.6 million acres in northeastern Alaska, making it the largest unit of the National Wildlife Refuge System. It extends roughly 200 miles from the Arctic Ocean south across the Brooks Range into the boreal forest of the Yukon River basin [1].

History

The area was first protected in 1960 as the Arctic National Wildlife Range, which covered about 8.9 to 9 million acres [1][2]. The Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act (ANILCA) of 1980 expanded it to its present size and renamed it a refuge. ANILCA also designated roughly 8 million acres, nearly 40 percent of the refuge, as Wilderness, the largest Wilderness area in the Refuge System [1].

Five Ecosystems

The refuge includes five ecological regions: coastal marine, coastal plain tundra, alpine tundra, a forest-tundra transition and boreal forest [1]. This range, from sea ice to spruce forest, is rare in a single protected area and gives the refuge unusual biological variety.

Wildlife

Wildlife includes polar bears, caribou, including the Porcupine caribou herd, Dall sheep, muskoxen, Dolly Varden char and Arctic grayling. Migratory birds travel to the refuge to breed from many parts of the world [1]. The coastal plain is an important calving area for caribou and a nesting area for birds.

Rivers

Three rivers in the refuge, the Sheenjek, the Ivishak and the Wind, are designated Wild and Scenic Rivers [1]. Others, such as the Hulahula and Firth rivers, drain the Brooks Range toward the Arctic coast [2].

Indigenous Peoples

The refuge is the homeland of the Iñupiat along the north coast and the Gwich’in in interior Alaska and northwest Canada, with thousands of years of documented habitation [1]. The Kaktovik Iñupiat Corporation received surface rights to 92,160 acres next to the village of Kaktovik under the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act in 1971, and ANILCA later allowed it to select its remaining lands inside the refuge [1].

The Coastal Plain

The northern portion of the refuge, known as the 1002 Area after the section of ANILCA that set it aside for study, has been identified as an area of possible oil and gas potential [2]. Debates over whether to allow energy development there have involved the federal government, the State of Alaska, Native communities and conservation groups, with differing views about economic benefits and the effects on wildlife and subsistence. The area remains a subject of legislative and administrative decisions.

Visiting

The refuge has no roads, so visits are made by small aircraft, river trips or long treks, and visitors are expected to be self-reliant. Most travel is in summer, when daylight is nearly continuous [1].

Climate and Landscape

The refuge lies north of the Arctic Circle, with long, cold winters and short summers. Permafrost underlies much of the tundra, and the landscape changes from flat coastal plain in the north to the steep ridges of the Brooks Range and then to forested river valleys in the south [1][2]. The refuge’s position, far from roads and towns, helps keep its ecosystems relatively unaltered.

Caribou Migration

The Porcupine caribou herd is one of the best-known animals of the refuge. It travels long distances between wintering grounds in the interior and calving areas on or near the coastal plain, and it is central to the subsistence traditions of the Gwich’in and of communities in northwestern Canada [1]. The herd’s migration is one reason the coastal plain has drawn both scientific and public attention.

Birds

Migratory birds travel to the refuge from many parts of the world to breed and raise young during the brief Arctic summer [1]. The wide mix of habitats, from coastal lagoons to alpine meadows, supports a large variety of species.

Management

The refuge is managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service under ANILCA, which governs wilderness protection, subsistence use by local residents and the question of energy development on the coastal plain [1]. Because the refuge covers millions of acres of designated Wilderness, motorized travel and development are limited in much of it.

Subsistence and Community

For the Iñupiat and Gwich’in, the refuge is not only a wildlife area but a working landscape where hunting, fishing and gathering continue. The village of Kaktovik, on the coast, lies within the refuge boundary, and Gwich’in communities such as Arctic Village and Venetie lie to the south, relying on caribou and fish from the region [1].

FAQs

How big is the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge? About 19.6 million acres, the largest refuge in the United States.

When was ANWR established? In 1960 as the Arctic National Wildlife Range, and expanded in 1980 by ANILCA.

What animals live in ANWR? Polar bears, caribou, muskoxen, Dall sheep, fish such as Arctic grayling and many migratory birds.

Which peoples live near the refuge? The Iñupiat and the Gwich’in, both with ties going back thousands of years.

What is the 1002 Area? The coastal plain portion of the refuge identified in ANILCA for study of its oil and gas potential.

Sources

1. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service: Arctic National Wildlife Refuge: About Us
2. Encyclopædia Britannica: Arctic National Wildlife Refuge

Editorially reviewed by Specialty Digest Editorial TeamLast reviewed November 12, 2026Researched and drafted with AI assistanceReport an issue