The Interior Department this week issued a final Record of Decision that clears the way for leasing and exploratory drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR).

The coastal plain is North America’s most promising onshore oil prospect.

For more than a generation, the question of whether to drill for oil and gas in ANWR has divided Americans. And for good reason—consisting of 19 million acres of gorgeous wilderness that provides a home for a large variety of species of plants and animals, ANWR truly is a national treasure.