In a major victory for Arctic birds, the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals today ruled that the Department of the Interior violated the law when it sold oil and gas drilling leases in the Chukchi Sea of the coast of Alaska. Audubon President David Yarnold issued the following statement:

“We don’t know nearly enough about the Chukchi Sea ecosystems – let alone about how to clean up an oil spill in ice-locked seas – to let international corporations go around poking holes in the seafloor. We do know that the Arctic Ocean is crucial for marine birds and mammals, holding globally significant feeding and resting areas for dozens of species, and they need to be protected.  This decision gives the White House a chance to reconsider drilling in the Chukchi.”