Photographic documentation of the necessity to preserve this precious area.

Tucked away in the northeastern corner of Alaska is one of the most contested landscapes in all of North America: the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Considered sacred by Indigenous peoples in Alaska and Canada and treasured by environmentalists, the refuge provides life-sustaining habitat for caribou, polar bears, migratory birds, and other species. For decades, though, the fossil fuel industry and powerful politicians have sought to turn this unique ecosystem into an oil field. Defending the Arctic Refuge tells the improbable story of how the people fought back. At the center of the story is the unlikely figure of Lenny Kohm (1939–2014), a former jazz drummer and aspiring photographer who passionately committed himself to Arctic Refuge activism. With the aid of a trusty slide show, Kohm and representatives of the Gwich'in Nation traveled across the United States to mobilize grassroots opposition to oil drilling. From Indigenous villages north of the Arctic Circle to Capitol Hill and many places in between, this book shows how Kohm and Gwich'in leaders and environmental activists helped build a political movement that transformed the debate into a struggle for environmental justice. In its final weeks, the Trump administration fulfilled a long-sought dream of drilling proponents: leasing much of the Arctic Refuge coastal plain for fossil fuel development. Yet the fight to protect this place is certainly not over. Defending the Arctic Refuge traces the history of a movement that is alive today—and that will continue to galvanize diverse groups to safeguard this threatened land.

Originally presented to Congress on March 28, 2001, this book brings together the latest word from key conservation leaders as well as firsthand accounts by Alaska residents on how they and neighboring wildlife would be affected should oil drilling proceed according to current plans. The book includes original pieces by Jimmy Carter, Wendell Berry, Barry Lopez, Bill McKibben, Scott Russell Sanders, Rick Bass, and Terry Tempest Williams. All royalties from sales of Arctic Refuge -- and an additional contribution from Milkweed Editions -- will go to the Alaska Conservation Foundation.

CLICK HERE to download the first 40 pages of Midnight Wilderness * Presents the original foreword by Margaret E. Murie * Features a new afterword by the author, providing context for the Refuge today * Includes a new map and an updated bibliography Originally published more than twenty years ago, Midnight Wilderness is a passionate and vivid account of one of Alaska's greatest natural treasures, the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Author Debbie Miller draws on her years of exploring this unique, magical, and expansive territory, weaving chilling adventure, personal anecdote, wildlife observation, and Native American life into a beautiful and compelling memoir of place. Proceeds from sales of this book will benefit the Alaska Wilderness League in its ongoing efforts to protect the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.

Two hundred color images celebrating the birds that journey to the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge each year are accompanied by essays by noted biologists and conservationists.

Fossilized dinosaur bones. Caribou tracks, both ancient and new. Wide open spaces. Vast migrations... The National Petroleum Reserve -- Alaska is more than a natural resource -- it's a place of rare, unprotected beauty * Full color conservation advocacy book features essays from Arctic authorities such as Bruce Babbitt, Jack Horner, Jeff Fair, and more. * Published in collaboration with the Alaska Wilderness League Originally set aside by President Harding in 1923 as a back-up resource for military fuel needs, the National Petroleum Reserve -- Alaska is home to half a million migrating caribou, countless migrating birds from all over the world, and, surprisingly, one of the largest Polar dinosaur fossil beds in the Arctic. The Reserve is also the largest piece of undisturbed public land in the United States -- yet few outside of Alaska have ever heard of it. On Arctic Ground, from Braided River, the conservation imprint of Mountaineers Books, features a series of vignettes written by well-loved Alaskan author Debbie S. Miller (Midnight Wilderness) about the astonishing array of wildlife she has encountered over many seasons exploring the Reserve. Additionally, former Secretary of the Interior Bruce Babbitt writes the book's preface, drawing on his years of experience managing both the economic and biological resources of the Reserve. Miller's vignettes are accompanied by images from an array of award-winning conservation photographers. The book also features essays and insight from Alaskan writers and science authorities -- including wildlife biologist Jeff Fair and senior Audubon Alaska scientist John Schoen -- as well as an essay and audio download by noted Alaska writer and soundscape artist Richard Nelson. Paleontologists Jack Horner and Patrick Druckenmiller share the most recent research and remarkable discoveries associated with dinosaur studies in the Alaskan Arctic. This book will serve as a platform to bring greater public awareness to the opportunities for permanently preserving the significant biological areas and wildlife that thrive within the Reserve. Braided River will collaborate with the Alaska Wilderness League to bring this story to members of Congress, the media, and the general public. Visit www.braidedriver.org to learn more.