Oil extraction in Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) is a serious problem for environmentalists and the future of the United States. Should the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge be opened to oil drilling? This paper will discuss whether or not we should allow the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to be opened to oil drilling. This will also show the impact it has on the environment and I will show a critical analysis of the current question of whether to drill or not. History The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge is located in the northeastern part of Alaska and has the largest wildlife in the country. ANWR covers more than 19 million acres of forests, mountains, wetlands, tundra and rivers and is home to unique and extinct species including sheep, wolves, musk oxen, migratory birds, caribou and polar bears (Defenders of Wild Fauna, 2010). The ANWR was established in 1960 to protect fish, wildlife populations, and habitats in their natural range, as well as provide opportunities for local residents to maintain their subsistence lifestyle (US Wildlife Service, 2010). The Arctic Refuge has long been recognized as a place of natural beauty and ecological grandeur. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, which manages the Refuge, calls it “the only conservation system unit that protects, under undisturbed conditions, a full spectrum of North America's Arctic ecosystems (Alaska Alpine adventure, n.d.).” Easton (2009) states that “refuge is designated as a wilderness area of ​​the United States, or an area where the Earth and its community of life are unencumbered by man, where man himself is a visitor who does not remains." Conservationists strongly support what they believe that "the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge is an area... the focus of paper applications (Custom 5th ed.: McGraw-Hill Defense of Wildlife). 2010). Arctic National Wildlife Refuge 'Arctic. Retrieved November 20, 2010, from http://www.defenders.org/programs_and_policy/habitat_conservation/federal_lands/national_wildlife_refuges/threats/arctic/index.phpEaston, T. (2009). ed.). New York: McGraw-HillU.S Wildlife Service, (2010, February 10). Retrieved November 20, 2010, from http://yukonflats.fws.gov/index.htmImage retrieved November 21, 2010, from http:/ /fedupnetwork.com/2008/06/29/internet-e-mail-about-anwr/Image retrieved November 21, 2010, from http://www .katu.com/news/photos/95866799.htmlNational Audubon Society, (2010 ) Impacts on Arctic Wildlife. Retrieved from http://www.protectthearctic.com/fact_impacts.html