BANGOR DAILY NEWS • September 3, 2020
The Trump administration on Aug. 17 finalized its plan to open up part of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) in Alaska to oil and gas development, a move that overturns six decades of protecting the largest remaining stretch of wilderness in the United States. Drilling in the Arctic Refuge impacts the delicate ecosystem that God created. It will not only devastate wildlife both in Alaska and the lower 48 states, but will decimate the Gwich’in people. Our commitment to protecting the Arctic Refuge is based on our commitment to defend all of God’s creation, including the fundamental rights of the Gwich’in people to ensure both their livelihoods and their religious liberties. ~ The Rev. Richard Killmer, Yarmouth, retired Presbyterian minister