Washington, D.C.– In response to the Department of the Interior releasing a Record of Decision to finalize protections for 28 million acres of D-1 lands in Alaska, the League of Conservation Voters (LCV) released the following statement from Conservation Program Director, America Fitzpatrick:

“LCV celebrates the finalization of this Record of Decision, retaining protections for 28 million acres of public lands essential to traditional subsistence communities and wildlife, including caribou, moose, bears, migratory birds, and salmon. President Biden and Secretary Haaland are honoring the calls of Alaska Native communities, safeguarding these public lands from harmful industrial development and ensuring that some of the largest connected landscapes in the country remain intact and can continue providing for the communities that rely on them. We applaud President Biden’s ongoing commitment to conservation and urge the Biden-Harris administration to further its historic legacy by continuing to take critical conservation steps that put people, public lands, and climate first.”

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