Hi everyone,

Apologies for the cross post! Here is your weekly Western Arctic social amplification toolkit. Please reach out with any questions.

Western Arctic Coalition Social Media

Week of June 26

About: About: This is your update on regular social amplification for the Western Arctic Coalition. This week we’re turning the focus to the Special Areas, with a special eye on the Peard Bay. We need your help amplifying this content! If you have suggestions for posts, influencers, news hits, etc. please send to dawnell@trustees.org and anja@alaskawild.org.

Amplification Opportunities:

INSTAGRAM & FACEBOOK

Instagram assets can be downloaded here (see previews below)

These assets are best used as a carousel

Instagram/FB caption:

Peard Bay is the newest Special Area in Alaska’s Arctic. This area in the Reserve encompasses 107,000 acres and includes high densities of ice seals, polar bears and the highest density of spectacled eider nesting areas in Alaska. In fact, this place has such a high concentration of haul-outs for marine mammals and migration areas for shorebirds and waterbirds that it’s considered a Continentally Significant Important Bird Area. 

But despite being a “Special Area,” there is currently no prohibition against developing an infrastructure corridor, such as a pipeline, to transport oil from offshore drilling through Peard Bay and into Alaska’s interior or across northern Alaska to facilities at Prudhoe Bay. 

Climate change is also having a profound effect on the region—rising temperatures and the disappearance of sea ice is causing more and more marine mammals, such as seals and walrus, to haul-out on the mainland, resulting in greater vulnerability to predators and hunters. 

In addition, melting permafrost is removing a critical buffer between coastlines and the impact of ocean waves. As permafrost disappears, coastal erosion could become significant, destroying wildlife habitat and nesting areas and disrupting local communities. The coastal denning and feeding habitats for threatened polar bears also become more important every year as sea ice levels continue to decline.

This place needs protection from oil and gas. It’s time to #PreserveTheReserve and protect America’s Arctic.

TWITTER

Twitter assets can be downloaded here (see previews below)

These assets are best used individually, creating 2-3 tweets

Tweet Copy Options:

• It might be the 2nd smallest Special Area in the Reserve, but Peard Bay has high densities of ice seals, polar bears and the highest density of spectacled eider nesting areas in Alaska. This place needs protection from oil & gas. It’s time to #PreserveTheReserve
• There is currently no prohibition against developing an infrastructure corridor, such as a pipeline, to transport oil from offshore drilling through Peard Bay Special Area and into Alaska’s interior or across northern Alaska to facilities at Prudhoe Bay. This place demands protection. #PreserveTheReserve
• Rising temps, disappearing sea ice, melting permafrost and coastal erosion are all putting Peard Bay Special Area at risk. This place can’t afford more climate chaos from oil and gas development. We need to protect the Western Arctic. It’s time to #PreserveTheReserve