Editing Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (section)

{{Short description|Protected area in Alaska}}
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{{Infobox protected area
| name            = Arctic National Wildlife Refuge
| iucn_category   = IV
| photo           = Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.jpg
| photo_caption   = Refuge during summer
| map_image       = {{Infobox mapframe |frame=yes |type=shape |frame-lat=65.06 |frame-long=-152.03 |stroke-width=2 |zoom=3 |point=none}}
| map_caption     = Location in northern Alaska
| location        = [[North Slope Borough, Alaska|North Slope Borough]] and [[Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area, Alaska|Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area]], [[Alaska]], United States
| nearest_city    = [[Utqiaġvik, Alaska]] pop. 3,982<br>[[Kaktovik, Alaska]] pop. 258
| coordinates     = {{Coord|68|45|N|143|30|W|region:US-AK|display=inline, title}}
| area_acre       = 19286722
| established     = 1960
| visitation_num  =
| visitation_year =
| governing_body  = [[United States Fish and Wildlife Service|U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service]]
| website         = [http://www.fws.gov/refuge/arctic/ 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 [[Inupiaq|Iñupiaq]] and [[Gwichʼin|Gwich'in]] lands. The refuge is {{convert|19286722|acre|km2}} of the [[Alaska North Slope]] region, with a northern coastline and vast inland forest, [[taiga]], and [[tundra]] regions.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.fws.gov/refuges/land/pdf/AnnLandsReport_2009.pdf|title=USFWS Annual Lands Report, 30 September 2009|accessdate=22 May 2023|archive-date=2 February 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220202135903/https://www.fws.gov/refuges/land/pdf/AnnLandsReport_2009.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref> 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, Alaska|Fairbanks]]. ANWR is home to a diverse range of [[endemism|endemic]] mammal species; notably, it is one of the few North American locations with all three endemic American [[bear]]s—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]], [[Reindeer|caribou]], [[Grey wolf|wolves]], [[red fox|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 [[Bird migration|migratory birds]] visit the refuge yearly, and it is a vital, protected breeding location for them. [[Snow geese]], [[eider]]s and [[snowy owls]] may be observed as well.

Just across the border in [[Yukon]], [[Canada]], are two [[National Parks of Canada|Canadian National Parks]], [[Ivvavik National Park|Ivvavik]] and [[Vuntut National Park|Vuntut]].