Join this Buff-breasted Sandpiper in saying “Happy 52nd Birthday Arctic Refuge!” This past year the US Fish and Wildlife Service worked on revising the management plan for the refuge. In the draft, the agency made an important decision to formally consider Wilderness for the crucial Coastal Plain area – the biological heart of the refuge. As part of this plan, a full Wilderness Review was done for the Arctic Refuge Coastal Plain for the first time ever – presenting an unprecedented opportunity to protect the Arctic Refuge for future generations. The announcement of the final plan is expected sometime in early 2013. Make a wish!

Learn more about the Arctic Refuge.

[Photo: Dave Shaw]