On August 15, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) released a draft Comprehensive Conservation Plan (CCP) for the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.  This plan will guide how the Refuge is managed over the next fifteen years and  beyond. The FWS has requested public input on its draft plan for the Arctic Refuge that, for the first time, could recommend Wilderness designation for the Coastal Plain – the Refuge’s biological epicenter that has been in Big Oil’s sights for decades. We need your help to ensure that this Wilderness recommendation for the Arctic Refuge’s Coastal Plain is ultimately included in the final version of the Refuge’s CCP.  The Arctic Refuge was set aside 50 years ago for its “unique wildlife, wilderness, and recreational values,” and it is up to us to ensure that this biological treasure is protected for future generations. Please help demonstrate overwhelming support for protecting the Arctic Refuge’s Coastal Plain – if Americans speak with a loud and united voice, we’ll be sending a strong message that the Fish and Wildlife Service can’t ignore. 

Please sign your organization on to the letter below to demonstrate broad public support for protecting the Coastal Plain of the Arctic Refuge as Wilderness.  To sign on, send an email with your organization's name, the name of the signer, his/her title, city and state to alaskacoalition [at] alaskawild [dot] org by November 1.

 LETTER TO INTERIOR SECRETARY KEN SALAZAR:

Alaska Center for the Environment ~ Alaska Coalition ~ Alaska Wilderness League ~ Arctic Treks ~ Arctic Voices ~ Brandenburg Gallery/Ravenwood Studios ~ Californians for Western Wilderness ~ Central Westchester Audubon ~ Defenders of Wildlife ~ Eyak Preservation Council ~ Flemish Centre for Indigenous Peoples ~ Fort Collins Audubon Society ~ Green Alliance ~ Hernando Audubon Society ~ Mankato Area Environmentalists ~ Medina County Park District ~ Migrations ~ Morning Earth ~ National Garden Clubs, Inc. ~ Nature Abounds ~ Natural Resources Council of Maine ~ Northeastern Minnesotans for Wilderness ~ Northern Alaska Environmental Center ~ Pack Paddle Ski ~ Richard Hamilton Smith Photography ~ Seniors for the Future ~ Sierra Club ~ Sitka’s Secrets ~ St. Louis Audubon Society ~ Tennessee Audubon Council ~ Titus Gallery ~ Upper Missouri Breaks Audubon ~ Western Nebraska Resources Council ~ The Will Steger Foundation ~ 5H Consulting ~ XXX

November 15, 2011

The Honorable Ken Salazar
Secretary
U.S. Department of the Interior
1849 C Street, NW
Washington, DC 20240

RE: Comments on the Draft Comprehensive Conservation Plan/ Environmental Impact Statement for the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge

Dear Secretary Salazar:

Thank you for the opportunity to comment on the Draft Comprehensive Conservation Plan/Environmental Impact Statement (Draft CCP/EIS) for the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. On behalf of the above groups and the millions of members we represent, we urge the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) to select Alternative C because it recommends Wilderness designation for the Arctic Refuge’s incomparable Coastal Plain Wilderness Study Area.

The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge was set aside fifty years ago for its “unique wildlife, wilderness, and recreational values.” This unparalleled landscape, and particularly its Coastal Plain, is home to some of America’s most iconic wildlife, including polar bears, grizzly bears, muskoxen, caribou, and hundreds of thousands of birds that gather each year from around the globe. Additionally, the Gwich’in people who have lived in this region for thousands of years rely on the Porcupine caribou herd, whose calving and nursery grounds are in the Arctic Refuge’s Coastal Plain.

We appreciate that the FWS conducted a full wilderness review of all Arctic Refuge lands not already designated Wilderness. This updated study clearly identifies the wilderness values of virtually all Arctic Refuge lands. For the vital Coastal Plain Wilderness Study Area (WSA), the Draft CCP/EIS states: “This WSA is the most biologically productive part of the Refuge and contains important habitats for a great diversity and abundance of life…The WSA’s ecological integrity enables all native species to maintain their natural behavior, interactions, cycles, and ecological roles.” With this area’s biological importance established yet again, we believe the appropriate next step is to recommend Wilderness designation for the Coastal Plain WSA. For the Brooks Range and Porcupine Plateau Wilderness Study Areas, we encourage FWS to manage them in a manner that maintains their wilderness values while allowing the Gwich’in people to meet their traditional and cultural needs.

We support the Arctic Refuge vision statement articulated in the Draft CCP/EIS, which recognizes the “Special Values” of the Refuge, and the restraint needed to maintain those values into the future. We also support the nine goals outlined in the Draft CCP/EIS, which include protecting the Refuge’s wildlife, wilderness qualities, natural ecological processes, subsistence opportunities, and wilderness-related recreational opportunities, while also addressing climate change.

Oil and gas leasing, exploration, development, and production, including seismic activity, support infrastructure or any geological surveys, are entirely incompatible with Refuge purposes, and would permanently harm the values for which the Arctic Refuge was established. Any such activities should continue to be prohibited, and should not be included in any Refuge management policies. FWS correctly did not include any alternatives considering oil and gas exploration and development as it is not a refuge purpose. Further, as climate change continues to impact the Arctic region, exacerbating those effects through oil and gas development is unconscionable. The Refuge’s value as an intact ecosystem becomes increasingly important each year.

To conclude, the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge is an incredible landscape with values unlike any other public lands in our nation. Its wilderness, ecological integrity, wildlife, adventure-oriented recreational opportunities, and Alaska Native cultural and subsistence values are unmatched.  FWS should maintain the Refuge’s Special Values by adopting the Vision and Goals outlined in the Draft CCP/EIS. Further, we urge FWS to recommend Wilderness designation for the crucial Coastal Plain WSA (Alternative C), and to manage the rest of the Refuge in a manner that maintains Wilderness characteristics while supporting the Gwich’in people’s traditional and cultural access to the area.

We appreciate your consideration of our comments on the Draft CCP/EIS for the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.

Sincerely,

cc:  Dan Ashe, Director, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
cc:  Richard Voss, Arctic National Wildlife Refuge Manager

Alaska Wilderness League
Cindy Shogan, Executive Director
Washington, D. C.

Alaska Coalition
Liz VanDenzen, Director
Santa Fe, New Mexico

Eyak Preservation Council
Carol Hoover, Executive Director
Cordova, Alaska

Mission: To preserve outstanding wildlife and wild public lands and waters in Alaska for future generations; to coordinate with organizations and businesses through national campaign strategies and grassroots education to assure lasting protection for Alaska’s national public lands and waters.  By speaking with a united voice, we demonstrate that Americans from all walks of life are dedicated to keeping Alaska wild.

What is the Alaska Coalition: The Alaska Coalition, a project of Alaska Wilderness League, is a partnership of nearly 1,000 groups from the conservation, sporting, labor, religious and business communities that has for more than 30 years worked together to safeguard Alaska’s public lands and waters - from the verdant tundra of the Arctic to the lush temperate rainforest of the Tongass National Forest.

In the spring of 2007, Alaska Wilderness League took on the responsibility of coordinating and facilitating the activities of the national Alaska Coalition.  This integration enhances the broader conservation community’s grassroots capacity to protect Alaska’s wild places.  The League and its staff now serve as the coordinators for the national Coalition as well as liaisons to state based coalitions.   

Our member organizations and businesses work together with our regional organizers to build support in Congress by urging their elected officials to pass wilderness legislation concerning Alaska.  Ultimately, we hope to add the 1.5 million-acre coastal plain of the Arctic Refuge to our nation’s wilderness preservation system, to conserve and restore key areas in the Tongass National Forest, to protect special places in the Western Arctic within the National Petroleum Reserve -Alaska, and to keep the sensitive waters of the Polar Bear Seas—the Beaufort and Chukchi—off the North Slope safe from oil and gas development.

OBAMA ADMINISTRATION RELEASES REVIEW OF CHUKCHI LEASE SALE 193: On August 18, the Obama administration released the final version of its court-ordered redo of an environmental review of a 2008 lease sale in the Arctic’s Chukchi Sea. At the same time, Shell Oil – the oil giant that hopes to start drilling in America’s Arctic Ocean next summer – was working to stop largest oil spill in UK North Sea waters in a decade.  This final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS) once again fails to address inadequacies identified by an Alaska District Court. In the SEIS, the Bureau of Ocean Energy, Management, Regulation and Enforcement (BOEMRE) states that while there are hundreds of pieces of missing information about the Arctic’s marine environment – this information is not necessary to make decisions about drilling. “While many statements of incomplete or unavailable information were broadly relevant to the important issues at hand, none were essential for a reasoned choice among alternatives,” according to BOEMRE.  BOEMRE’s continued refusal to make decisions based on science about drilling in the Arctic Ocean ignores the concerns of the people of the Arctic coast – who rely on the Arctic Ocean to survive – as well as the 240,000 people nationwide who previously commented on this issue. 

 “Point Hope, Alaska is the oldest settlement in North America,” said Caroline Cannon, President, Native Village of Point Hope. “The cultural and subsistence traditions of Point Hope are inextricably linked to the health of the Arctic ecosystem and the resources of our traditional lands and waters. I am haunted by the worry that an oil spill will occur in our waters.  Shell’s proposed oil and gas activities affect the very foundations of who we are as individuals and as a people. We have a right to life, to physical integrity, to security, and the right to enjoy the benefits of our culture.  To risk our people for the profit of oil companies is heartbreaking.”  
 
BOEMRE’s announcement also ignores the U.S. Geological Survey’s Arctic Science Initiative that exposed huge gaps in scientific information aboutthe Arctic Ocean – from simple species counts of marine mammals such as the threatened polar bear and the endangered bowhead whale to information about currents and tidal systems. This lack of information must be addressed before any decisions about drilling in the Arctic Ocean can be made.   BOEMRE’s  announcement flies in the face of information from such experts as the National Marine Fisheries Service, who recommended that more information on the effects of oil and gas activities on marine life must be obtained before proceeding with drilling. 
Alaska Wilderness League calls on Interior Secretary Ken Salazar to hold off on any final decisions about drilling in the Arctic Ocean until a plan is in place to gather the basic essential information about this imperiled place, and oil spill response technology for the Arctic is developed and proven.

ACTION:  To show broad public opposition to Shell’s plans to drill in the Arctic Ocean, the conservation community has launched the United for America’s Arctic coalition.  Please join the coalition by emailing brian (at) alaskawild (dot) org or leah (at) alaskawild (dot) org.  You can read the full statement here. 

ARCTIC OCEAN OIL SPILL CLEANUP BRIGADES DEPLOYING ACROSS THE COUNTRY:   With decisions about Arctic Ocean drilling happening throughout the fall, Alaska Wilderness League and the United for America’s Arctic coalition is raising awareness about Shell Oil’s unrealistic oil spill response plans. In these plans, Shell states such blatant falsehoods as a promise to  recover 95 percent of any oil spilled in the Arctic Ocean using mechanical means.  In sharp contrast, only 3 percent of oil was recovered in the Gulf after the Deepwater Horizon disaster and only 8 percent  was recovered after the Exxon Valdez spill.   Shell Oil’s response plans include glorified mop and bucket brigades in Arctic waters with icebergs as tall as apartment buildings and hurricane-force storms. 

We plan to riff on the ridiculousness of Shell and Big Oil’s spill cleanup “plans” in the Arctic Ocean by deploying our own spill response cleanup brigades across the country.

Concerned citizens will don “hazmat” suits, masks, and hard hats along with their mops and buckets and march in opposition to Big Oil’s plans to drill in the Arctic Ocean.  Alaska Wilderness League will provide the suits, masks, and gloves to event organizers.  Organizers should encourage participants to bring their mops and buckets from home and perhaps purchase some extras at local dollar stores.  In addition, participants will be asked to sign “Arctic oil spill cleanup” beach towels.

ACTION: Pull together a cleanup brigade in your area.  You could deploy as part of a local fair, parade or other public event.  You can learn more about these cleanup brigades here.  To request a kit, please contact brian (at) alaskawild (dot) org.

• ACTION: S231 (Bill to designate a portion of the Arctic Refuge as wilderness) – There are currently 26 cosponsors. If your senator hasn't already done so, please encourage him/her to become a cosponsor.  
• ACTION: HR39 (Udall-Eisenhower Arctic Wilderness Act) – Currently, there are 114 cosponsors.  Please check here to see if your representative is a cosponsor.   If not, please encourage him/her to sign on now by clicking here!
• UPDATE: U.S. Congress, CONSERVATION Groups call for the strongest possible protections for the arctic national wildlife refuge - 57 Members of U.S. Congress Send Letter to President Obama Calling for the Strongest Protections of the Iconic Arctic Refuge on its 50^th Anniversary - In early October, Representative Edward Markey (D-MA) led a letter, signed by 56 other Members of the House of Representatives to President Obama, calling for the strongest possible protections for the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge during this historic year – the 50^th anniversary of its original creation. Despite numerous battles to open the Refuge for drilling throughout the years, strong bi-partisan support has kept the Refuge protected. The House Members stated in the letter that, “now is the time to grant the Refuge the strong, long-term protections it deserves so that we can pass this unspoiled American treasure to our children and grandchildren.”  A recent poll shows that a vast majority of Americans support commemorating the 50^th anniversary of the Refuge by granting it stronger protections. The poll showed that more than 60 percent of Americans would like to see the Arctic Refuge recognized at a level on par with other pristine landmarks such as the Grand Canyon, Muir Woods, and Yellowstone.  As Representative Markey, chairman of the twin energy committees in the U.S. Congress said, “The BP Deepwater Horizon spill of nearly 5 million barrels of oil into the Gulf of Mexico this summer was one of the worst environmental disasters in our nation’s history. The BP spill is a stark reminder that when it comes to oil drilling there is no such thing as ‘immaculate extraction.’ On the 50^th anniversary of the establishment of the Arctic Refuge, the time has come to grant this unique and pristine American treasure the strong protections that it deserves.”              
• UPDATE: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced on September 27 that it would exercise its authority under federal law to conduct a wilderness review for nearly all non-Wilderness areas of the Arctic Refuge, including the Coastal Plain, as part of the Comprehensive Conservation Planning (CCP) process.  This will determine if these areas should be designated as Wilderness. While the Arctic Refuge is the only National Wildlife Refuge in the United States that was created specifically for its wilderness values, a full wilderness study of the Coastal Plain has never been conducted.
• UPDATE: Americans Call for Stronger Protections for the Arctic Refuge - October 18 marked 50 days until the 50th Anniversary of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge - On October 18, Americans from across the country called on President Obama to ask for the strongest protections possible for the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge on its 50th anniversary. Schoolchildren, teachers, and concerned citizens – over 12,000 participants – celebrated the anniversary across the country in the largest nationwide kite flying event. Over 200 events occurred across the country in 32 states.
• MEDIA HIGHLIGHTS: Kit DesLauriers to present “Journey Through The Arctic Refuge”; House Dems push for more ANWR protection; Arctic National Wildlife Refuge 50th Anniversary - A Pictorial Odyssey Amidst Renewed Debate; Consider a wilderness designation; Research rockets rain down on ANWR; Operation “Drill, Baby, Drill” Goes Bust
• RADIO STORIES/ VIDEOS: Indelible images capture ANWR's beauty; PROBLEMS IN THE ALASKAN WILDERNESS
• EVENTS: Steven Kazlowski (The Last Polar Bear photographer) exhibit up in Portland –November 10^th at Cheatham Hall & Discovery Museum 7:00 - 9:00pm

• ACTION: Demand protection for Bristol Bay. Bristol Bay is a place of bounty and balance, blessed with more than half of all wild salmon in the world! The ecosystem fosters a truly balanced cycle.  Yet, toxic mining runoff from Pebble Mine and others still threatens to tip the balance.
• MEDIA HIGHLIGHTS: Fairbanks Daily News-Miner - The voice of Interior Alaska since 1903

• UPDATE: November is National Native American Heritage Month - President Obama proclaimed November 2010 as National Native American Heritage Month and November 26, 2010, as Native American Heritage Day.
• UPDATE: The Alaska region of the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement (BOEM) produced a Draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS) that fails to address a key requirement from the court regarding collecting missing scientific information.  BOEM needs to issue a new Draft SEIS after it has reviewed relevant reports from the U.S. Geological Survey covering Arctic Ocean science (expected April 2011) and from the National Commission on the BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill and Offshore Drilling covering BOEM shortcomings (expected January 2011). Additionally, Shell’s October 5, 2010 letter to BOEM asking for approval to drill an exploratory well in the Beaufort and not the Chukchi (at this point) ignores the lessons learned from the BP Deepwater Horizon tragedy.  BOEM needs to take the time needed to make scientifically-justified decisions before allowing leasing and new drilling in the Arctic Ocean. Alaska Hearing Schedule for Lease Sale 193:

·         Kotzebue - November 1^st·         Point Hope - November 2^nd ·         Point Lay  - November 3^rd ·         Wainwright - November 4th·         Barrow - November 5th·         Anchorage - November 9th

• MEDIA HIGHLIGHTS: New documentary recounts bizarre climate changes seen by Inuit elders

•  ACTION: Contact your Members of Congress and urge them to oppose  the "Sealaska bill!" Send a message to Congress that any action on the Tongass must include the strongest protections possible for America’s rainforest!
• UPDATE: Congress has left Washington and returned to their districts for the run-up to the November elections.  Thankfully, they left town without any further action on the Sealaska bill which remains stalled. The lame duck Congress will meet after the elections for several weeks, but political wrangling and partisanship may rule the day, ensuring that little more than gridlock will get done before the 112^th Congress takes their seats in January. 
•  UPDATE: U.S. Forest Service Honors Tongass Conservation Group - Visionary Couple That Founded the Group in the 1960s Attends Ceremony - On October 14, 2010, U.S. Forest Service Chief Tom Tidwell presented the Bob Marshall Champions of Wilderness Award to Alaska Coalition member, Sitka Conservation Society (SCS), a group founded in 1967 to protect portions of the Tongass National Forest. The Tongass is the nation’s largest national forest and contains nearly half of the world’s remaining intact coastal temperate rainforest. Two of SCS’s founders, Chuck and Alice Johnstone, now in their 80s, will attend the award ceremony to accept the prestigious award. Although not formally connected, the award comes as the Forest Service begins to implement a “Transition Framework” on the Tongass National Forest. Earlier this year in 2010, the Forest Service announced a significant shift away from a reliance on old-growth logging to a more comprehensive program of work focused on conserving natural resources while continuing to support economic opportunity for southeast Alaska communities. Forest Service officials have identified fisheries and tourism, the region’s two largest private industries, as key economic sectors connected to the agency’s new vision for forest management.
• UPDATE: U.S. Forest Service’s Implementation of a New Program of Work for the Tongass National Forest - Alaska Wilderness League commends the U.S. Forest Service for taking a strong, first step to advance a new vision of forest management in the Tongass National Forest. With the release of the 5-year project schedule, the Forest Service has made a substantive shift away from an unsustainable reliance on old-growth logging to a more comprehensive and balanced program of work. The updated program of work emphasizes managing the forest to conserve important fish and wildlife habitat, promotes job opportunities, and enhances the sustainability of our southeast Alaska communities. The Tongass contains some of the best fish, wildlife, water, and forest resources in the country. By conserving fish and wildlife habitat in undeveloped areas and restoring habitat in areas previously impacted by clearcut logging, the Forest Service is prudently managing resources for key regional assets such as commercial fishing, recreation, tourism, and traditional and customary uses. We are encouraged by the start the Forest Service’s has made to put the Transition Framework into action. The League looks forward to partnering with them to help advance their vision for the Tongass National Forest. We believe it’s a vision which recognizes we can make smart decisions today to conserve and manage the forest for the future, while continuing to use and enjoy the Tongass’ abundant resources today. 
•  MEDIA HIGHLIGHTS: Murkowski receives endorsement from Southeast Native organization; Southeast Alaska Native Land Entitlement Finalization Act; Sitka's "wilderness champions" receive national honor; Bob Marshall Wilderness Award; Congressman will push original Sealaska bill 
•  EVENTS: Seattle on November 10: Please join Alaska Wilderness League for the presentation of the Voice of the Wild Award to Amy Gulick in recognition of her work to promote greater awareness of the importance of protecting Alaska’s wilderness, especially the Tongass National Forest and a celebration of the upcoming 50th anniversary of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge! Wednesday, November 10, 20106:00 pm – 8:00 pm at the Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture    Seattle on November 16: Braided River joins Jon Rowley, Blueacre Seafood Restaurant and Steelhead Diner in presenting a sumptuous feast of oysters, wild salmon, Dungeness crab, spot prawns and more at the Burke Museum Tuesday November 16  from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.in celebration of award-winning photographer Amy Gulick's exhibit and book - Salmon in the Trees: Life in Alaska's Tongass Rain Forest

The National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska is one of Alaska’s best kept secrets and one of our nation’s greatest natural treasures. The administration and Congress must work to keep important habitat areas within the Reserve protected from destructive industrial development.

• UPDATE:  According to the USGS, “The estimated volume of undiscovered oil is significantly lower than estimates released in 2002, owing primarily to recent exploration drilling that revealed an abrupt transition from oil to gas and reduced reservoir quality in the Alpine sandstone 15–20 miles west of the giant Alpine oil field. The National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska (NPRA) has been the focus of oil exploration during the past decade, stimulated by the mid-1990s discovery of the adjacent Alpine field—the largest onshore oil discovery in the United States during the past 25 years. Recent activities in NPRA, including extensive 3–D seismic surveys, six Federal lease sales totaling more than $250 million in bonus bids, and completion of more than 30 exploration wells on Federal and Native lands, indicate in key formations more gas than oil and poorer reservoir quality than anticipated. In the absence of a gas pipeline from northern Alaska, exploration has waned and several petroleum companies have relinquished assets in the NPRA.”  For more see here  

•  MEDIA HIGHLIGHTS: 2010 Updated Assessment of Undiscovered Oil and Gas Resources of the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska (NPRA); Report slashes estimate of amount of oil in NPRA