▁Union ▁and ▁the ▁Operation ▁P low share ▁drive ▁for ▁the ▁peace ful ▁use ▁of ▁nuclear ▁weapons ▁brought ▁propos als ▁for ▁Operation ▁Ch ari ot , ▁a ▁proposed ▁deep water ▁har bor ▁at ▁Cape ▁Thompson ▁ ▁north west ▁of ▁the ▁monument , ▁to ▁be ▁exc av ated ▁using ▁nuclear ▁devices . ▁The ▁project , ▁though ▁popular ▁elsewhere ▁in ▁Al aska , ▁was ▁opposed ▁by ▁native ▁leaders ▁and ▁was ▁disc arded . ▁ ▁E col ogy ▁and ▁environment ▁ ▁The ▁lands ▁within ▁the ▁monument , ▁which ▁lies ▁entirely ▁above ▁the ▁Ar ctic ▁Circle , ▁are ▁all ▁t und ra ▁in ▁which ▁the ▁per ma f rost ▁domin ates ▁so ils ▁and ▁veget ation . ▁The ▁monument ▁is ▁in ▁a ▁per ma f rost ▁region . ▁In ▁the ▁low land ▁areas ▁the ▁land ▁is ▁sh aped ▁by ▁therm ok ar st ▁forces . ▁Typ ical ▁therm ok ar st ▁features ▁seen ▁in ▁the ▁monument ▁include ▁ping os , ▁polygon ▁ice ▁wed ges ▁and ▁th aw ▁p onds . ▁Low ▁veget ation ▁covers ▁the ▁land , ▁mainly ▁in ▁t us so cks ▁of ▁c ott ong rass , ▁with ▁shr ub by ▁growth ▁of ▁will ow , ▁Lab r ador ▁tea , ▁d war f ▁bir ch , ▁mountain ▁al der ▁and ▁other ▁species ▁in ▁mo ist ▁t und ra ▁areas . ▁W etter ▁areas ▁in ▁the ▁southern ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁monument ▁feature ▁grass es ▁and ▁sed ges . ▁ ▁U pl and ▁regions ▁are ▁Ar ctic ▁t und ra , ▁with ▁l ichen , ▁sa x