Spilling Thought: Today, the Obama Administration moved to protect the Arctic National #WildlifeRefuge, releasing a conservation plan and calling on Congress to designate core areas of the refuge -- including its Coastal Plain -- as wilderness, the highest level of protection available to #publiclands. The 19.8 million acre #Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in #Alaska is widely considered one of the most spectacular and remote areas in the world. It is home to the most diverse wildlife in the arctic, from caribou and polar bears to gray wolves and muskoxen. Lagoons, beaches, saltmarshes, tundra and forests make up the remote and undisturbed wild area that spans five distinct ecological regions, and the refuge holds special meaning to Alaska Natives -- having sustained their lives and culture for thousands of years. Visit www.DOI.gov to learn more. by usinterior