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The Refuge E2: To Secure the Blessings of Liberty

Sign in Kaktovik, Alaska - the only town inside the boundaries of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge
Nick Mott/Threshold
Sign in Kaktovik, Alaska - the only town inside the boundaries of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge

For 40 years, the fight over drilling for oil in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge has been waged mostly from afar, in Washington, D.C. But what would oil development mean to the people who live closest to the proposed drilling area?

Kaktovik, Alaska is the only town within the boundaries of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Now that drilling has been approved by Congress, it could mean people here someday have oil rigs right next door. But it could also mean this small town is suddenly awash in cash.

Kaktovik may have more to lose, and more to gain, than any other community in the country, so we’re going to spend two full episodes listening to people here.

This miniseries is the capstone project for our two-and-a-half years of reporting in and on the Arctic.

Each season, Threshold explores one story from the natural world, and what it says about us. This miniseries is the capstone project for our two-and-a-half years of reporting in and on the Arctic.

Subscribe to Threshold via iTunes , Stitcher , NPR One, or wherever you get your podcasts. Learn more about Threshold on our website.

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