On November 20, 2003, the Bush Administration announced in a Final Environmental Impact Statement that it would allow oil and gas leasing in 100% of the nearly nine-million-acre northwest planning area of the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska (NPR-A), despite the urging of more than 95,000 Americans and 100 scientists for a more common sense balance between development and conservation of this special wild place, the Bush Administration chose to allow leasing on 100 percent of this area.

On November 20, 2003, the Bush Administration announced its Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) for oil and gas leasing in the nearly nine-million-acre northwest planning area of the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska (NPR-A). Despite the urging of more than 95,000 Americans and 100 scientists for a more common sense balance between development and conservation of this special wild place, the Bush Administration chose to allow leasing on 100 percent of this area.

"The Administration has certainly given big oil and gas plenty to be thankful for this holiday. The Final Environmental Impact Statement announced today fails to give real protection to one single acre, resource, or cultural value. Just like the energy bill now before Congress, this plan makes drilling and spilling the dominant activities on this spectacular wildlife and culturally-rich region," said Eleanor Huffines, of The Wilderness Society.

The FEIS also weakens current environmental safeguards, by allowing the Bureau of Land Management to modify or waive all of them on a case-by-case basis for “economic” reasons. In addition, it changes existing prescriptive lease stipulations to vague “guidelines” set by the industry itself. These decisions were made in the absence of a monitoring program and were made without scientific basis.

BLM will initially delay offering leases in some areas near Peard Bay and Kasegaluk Lagoon, but these deferrals offer no real or permanent protection for these important wildlife and subsistence resources. The decision apparently recognizes the sensitivity of these vital resources, yet still makes these areas available immediately for seismic work, as well as future oil and gas development.

Background
The National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska, which despite its name is a vast, wild and undeveloped swath of land, encompasses 23.5 million acres managed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). The NPR-A, also known as the Western Arctic, is home to a wide diversity of wildlife in a variety of arctic ecosystems and supports the subsistence lifestyle of many Native Alaskans.

In 1976, Congress acknowledged the significant wildlife and Native Alaskan subsistence uses, and passed the Naval Petroleum Reserves Production Act, which made oil available, but treated the Western Arctic area differently from the other reserves where production was the primary focus. Three special areas were designated administratively in recognition of their unique wildlife values, however, this designation does not offer any permanent protection from oil and gas leasing or other types of development. These areas are the Utukok Uplands which are critical calving grounds for hundreds of thousands of arctic caribou, the Colville River which supports a world-class population of nesting birds of prey and the Teshekpuk Lake/Meade River region where threatened spectacled eiders nest each year. Other exceptional wildlife areas include the Kasegaluk Lagoon -- home to beluga whales, spotted seals and black brant.

The vast majority of the Western Arctic remains totally undeveloped. Oil development in the eastern-most part of the region began in 1999. At the time, the BLM did not study any of the area proposed for leasing for its wilderness character because of a 1980s directive from former Interior Secretary James Watt, which prohibited wilderness study of BLM lands in Alaska. The so-called "Watt Directive" was rescinded in the final days of the Clinton Administration and despite requests from the Alaska Congressional delegation; the Bush Administration has not reinstated the directive.

While some oil and gas exploration is inevitable at this point, it is critical that the most ecologically and culturally important areas receive the permanent protection they deserve. Due to the extreme sensitivity of the arctic ecosystems, it is critical that any oil and gas extraction projects that do occur are held to the highest possible environmental and safety standards.

On January 17, 2003, the Bureau of Land Management released a draft environmental impact statement (DEIS) analyzing four alternatives for the future management of the 8.8 million acre Northwest Planning Area of the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska.

Two of the alternatives in the draft EIS would have leased almost all of the 8.8 million-acre northwest area. A third alternative would have offered protections, including possible wilderness designation, and preclude nearly all development in all but two percent of the “high-potential area” while the fourth alternative would have maintained the status quo. BLM did not indicate a preferred alternative. However, the Bush Administration had already identified the area as a target for increased domestic oil production.

A coalition of environmental groups developed a fifth alternative that emphasized protection for wildlife and identified several biological "hotspots" in the region. The "Wildlife Habitat Alternative" would have allowed oil drilling in some parts of the Northwest Planning Area while recommending protections for the most ecologically sensitive areas. The conservation alternative was based on the scientific findings in an Audubon report on "biological hotspots" in the region.

For More Information

• Visit ArcticGems.org 
• Tim Bristol, Alaska Coalition, 907-321-3291
• Eleanor Huffines, The Wilderness Society, 907-272-9453 
• Ken Rait, Campaign for America's Wilderness, 503-460-9453 
• John Schoen, Alaska Audubon, 907-276-7034
• Cindy Shogan, Alaska Wilderness League, 202-544-5205