Places in Danger: Teshekpuk Lake
In the far north of Alaska lies Teshekpuk Lake-a stunning land of coastal lagoons, clear, deep lakes, wet sedge grass meadows, and wide river deltas.
The area supports some of the Arctic's most important birds and wildlife. It is home to a 26,000-member caribou herd, and provides habitat for up to 60,000 molting geese each summer . Waterfowl, like Spectacled and Steller's Eiders and Yellow-billed Loons also rely on the wetlands of the western Arctic, as does one of the world's largest Pacific brant populations.
 The vast network of wetlands surrounding Teshekpuk Lake is so important for wildlife that it has been recognized since 1977 by Congress and by three prior administrations as a federally-recognized 'special area.' Yet in January 2006, the Bush administration removed long-standing protections for Teshekpuk Lake - opening the fragile region to widespread oil and gas development.
If the Teshekpuk Lake area is opened to oil and gas development, we will feel it even as far south as the Great Lakes and the Gulf Coast, where each year birdwatchers and hunters look forward to the migration of waterfowl to and from Teshekpuk Lake.
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