History and Background
Creation of the Arctic Refuge
The Arctic Refuge had long been recognized for its unparalleled natural beauty and ecological importance. As early as the 1930s, leading biologists and conservationists, such as Olaus and Margaret Murie and Robert Marshall, were captivated by the scenic beauty and wildlife diversity of Alaska’s northeastern Arctic. To protect this incredible place, Presidents Dwight Eisenhower in 1960 and President Jimmy Carter in 1980’s Alaska national Interest lands Conservation Act (ANILCA) respectively established and then expanded the Arctic Refuge; thus achieving one of the greatest conservation legacies of both Republican and Democratic administrations. The US Fish and Wildlife Service, charged by law with managing the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, calls it “the only conservation system unit that protects, in an undisturbed condition, a complete spectrum of the arctic ecosystems in North America.”
The Great Compromise
In what many consider the “great compromise” of ANILCA, however, Congress puts off a decision on whether the Coastal Plain should be designated as Wilderness and instead orders that the Interior Department study the biological and oil resources of the Coastal Plain. At the same time, Congress states that oil and gas production or leasing from the Arctic Refuge will require an act of Congress. The Interior Department later concludes that oil drilling on the Coastal Plain would harm “the wilderness environment, wildlife habitats, and Native community activities currently existing, resulting instead in an area governed by industrial activities.” Ignoring the scientific findings, the Reagan Administration recommends oil drilling on the Coastal Plain.
The Ongoing Battle
In every Congress since 1986 Congressional champions have introduced a bill to designate the Coastal Plan as Wilderness. At the same time, drilling proponents regularly introduce drill-the-Refuge bills; at least nine in the 109th Congress alone. Most drill bills do not make it out of committee, and over the years drilling proponents use increasingly desperate schemes to open the Coastal Plain to oil drilling. During the 109th Congress these schemes included attempting to insert Arctic Refuge drilling provisions into budget reconciliation legislation to avoid full Congressional debate and holding hostage a Department of Defense appropriations bill during a time of war. The Alaska Wilderness League recognizes that these threats will continue to exist until legislation is passed to permanently protect the Coastal Plain as Wilderness, and we will continue to work hard until Congress designates the Arctic Refuge.
