Arctic National Wildlife Refuge

Arctic National Wildlife Refuge
Arctic National Wildlife Refuge
IUCN category IV (habitat/species management area)
	Refuge during summer
	Location in northern Alaska
Location	North Slope Borough and Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area, Alaska, United States
Nearest city	Utqiaġvik, Alaska pop. 3,982; Kaktovik, Alaska pop. 258
Coordinates	68°45′N 143°30′W / 68.750°N 143.500°W
Area	19,286,722 acres (78,050.59 km2)
Established	1960
Governing body	U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Website	Arctic National NWR

The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR, pronounced as “ANN-warr”) or Arctic Refuge is a national wildlife refuge in northeastern Alaska, United States, on traditional Iñupiaq and Gwich'in lands. The refuge is 19,286,722 acres (78,050.59 km²) of the Alaska North Slope region, with a northern coastline and vast inland forest, taiga, and tundra regions.^[1] ANWR is the largest national wildlife refuge in the country, slightly larger than the Yukon Delta National Wildlife Refuge. The refuge is administered from offices in Fairbanks. ANWR is home to a diverse range of endemic mammal species; notably, it is one of the few North American locations with all three endemic American ursids—the polar bear, grizzly bear, and American black bear, each of which resides predominantly in its own ecological niche. Besides the bears, other mammal species include the moose, caribou, wolves, red and Arctic fox, Canada lynx, wolverine, pine marten, American beaver, and North American river otter. Further inland, mountain goats may be seen near the slope. Hundreds of species of migratory birds visit the refuge yearly, and it is a vital, protected breeding location for them. Snow geese, eiders and snowy owls may be observed as well.