The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) is more than a remote patch of tundra — it is a crucible where nature, energy, and politics collide in breathtaking and often dramatic fashion.

Alaska’s Arctic National Wildlife Refuge remains one of America’s most pristine places. This fall’s election could decide whether the U.S. drills for oil there.

FILE - The Kaktovik Lagoon and the Brooks Range mountains of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge are seen in Kaktovik, Alaska, Oct. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson, File) (Lindsey Wasson ...

In 1960, then-Secretary of the Interior Fred Seaton issued an order describing the boundary of the Arctic National Wildlife Range, which was later renamed a refuge. In the order, he described the ...

The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge coastal plain is seen on July 8, 2019. Bids for the second oil and gas lease sale held in the area are set to be opened by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management on ...

FILE - The Kaktovik Lagoon and the Brooks Range mountains of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge are seen in Kaktovik, Alaska, Oct. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson, File) 30,899 people played ...

Bids for oil exploration rights in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge’s coastal plain will be opened on Jan. 10, a day later than originally scheduled, the U.S. Bureau of Land Management has said.

FILE - The Kaktovik Lagoon and the Brooks Range mountains of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge are seen in Kaktovik, Alaska, Oct. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson, File) (Lindsey Wasson ...

FILE - The Kaktovik Lagoon and the Brooks Range mountains of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge are seen in Kaktovik, Alaska, Oct. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson, File) (Lindsey Wasson ...

FILE - The Kaktovik Lagoon and the Brooks Range mountains of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge are seen in Kaktovik, Alaska, Oct. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson, File) (Lindsey Wasson ...