Posted on 05/19/2008 5:21:51 AM PDT by thackney
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (Reuters) - The Bush administration on Friday proposed keeping potentially oil-rich wetlands in Arctic Alaska off-limits to drilling because of their ecological sensitivity, a reversal of its earlier plan.
The Bureau of Land Management proposed a 10-year leasing moratorium for 430,000 acres of wetlands north and east of vast Teshekpuk Lake in the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska. Environmentalists and local groups hailed the decision.
"This plan provides a balanced approach to energy development and wildlife protection, and forms a solid basis for the Bureau of Land Management to proceed with an oil and gas lease sale later this year," Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne said in a statement.
The area, the North Slope's biggest freshwater lake, is considered potentially rich in oil and gas as well as a critical habitat for migrating birds and caribou. Two years ago, the administration was poised to sell leases to energy companies seeking to drill.
But a lawsuit by environmentalists and native groups forced the agency to revisit the plan in late 2006.
Extensive public comment, input from the local government and practical considerations contributed to the policy change, said Jim Ducker, an environmental program analyst for the BLM.
Ducker noted that the area is 40 to 70 miles away from any oil-field infrastructure.
"Our thinking is, it's pretty darn unlikely that we're going to have any development there" in the near future, he said.
Ducker said the BLM hopes the new plan will result in a lease sale this fall, to encompass essentially the same area offered for lease by the Clinton administration in 1999.
Geologists estimate the area holds 2.8 billion barrels of oil, he said, with 800 million barrels in the deferral area.
Environmentalists were pleased with the BLM's new plan.
"It is a win," said Stan Senner, executive director of Audubon Alaska, one of the groups campaigning for preservation. "I think they've responded to public interest in seeing that the area's protected, and it gives people who care about the place time to work on a permanent solution."
The BLM statement noted that North Slope Borough Mayor Edward Itta said "The lease sale can proceed while one of the region's most sensitive wildlife habitats will be protected. It's a win-win."
The borough, which opposed oil development in the area because it is important to Inupiat Eskimo hunters, was enlisted to help prepare the new plan after a federal judge voided the previous leasing plan.
The 23 million acre National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska, on the central North Slope, was created in 1923 as a potential source of energy for the military.
Despite sporadic exploration drilling since the 1940s, almost all the successful oil development that ensued on the North Slope occurred on state land east of the reserve.
Industry interest in the petroleum reserve resurfaced in the 1990s, after Arco Alaska Inc. discovered the Alpine oil field on state land bordering the federal unit. Alpine is now operated by Arco successor ConocoPhillips.
While there has never been any commercial oil production in the petroleum reserve, ConocoPhillips and partner Anadarko plan to develop Alpine satellite fields on the federal land there.
This is not about ANWR but drilling in the National Petroleum Reserve, Alaska.
So much for subduing the earth.
Lets see if we can raise the minimum wage another 2 or 3 bucks while we are at it.
See? He IS a compassionate conservative. He’s compassionate to all the little floras and faunas in Alaska; and maybe to his cronies’ business interests.
Those of us who need to be able to buy gasoline for less than $4.00 a gallon? Not so much.
Can anyone anywhere explain to me what possible reason the USA has, other then a totally goofy Govt Energy policy of “Conservation, not Consumption” for producing less oil right now then it did 20 years ago????
Why despite a decade of ever increasing world demand for Oil do we produce less now then we did in 2000?
Past time everyone in DC get a pink slip from the American people.
http://tonto.eia.doe.gov/dnav/pet/hist/mcrfpus2m.htm
So on this point, the Republicans are willing to allow the Democrats to set public policy. This begs the question: why should I make any contribution to the Republicans for when it comes down to the moment the nut is cut, they find it far too easy to suspend principle and give in to whiners, hand wringer and hyper-alarmists.
Amen, brother!!!
Oops, I suddenly realize I have engaged in a sexist assumption that you are a male of the species.
Amen, sister!!!
But... what if you ARE a man?
Okay, try this...
Amen, citizen!!!
or, after Obama is sworn in as our presisente: Amen, comrade!!!
Yep. GOP now stands for “Gutless Old Panderers”
True.
If the Democrats are going to set the policy they may as well be the ones in charge for the next 6 years or so.
That way THEY can shoulder the blame for higher taxes, higher gas prices, food shortages, etc (reaping what they have sown, and such).
Good one. I like it.
Where’s the balance in this “balanced approach”?
“This is not about ANWR but drilling in the National Petroleum Reserve, Alaska.”
We need to save that for when the time comes that Middle Eastern Oil is radioactive.
I like your map. There was one used during the ANWAR debates in Congress that scaled the size of Alaska to its’ next biggest state. That one was impressive as well as I had never realized the true size of Alaska compared to Texas.
So, the way I read this, the agreement diminishes the area of the National Petroleum Reserve by 430,000 acres around the lake. Apparently thie protection of this area is the price for releasing the rest for auction of leases including those currently in process of being auctioned.
The auction of these leases will relieve the pressure on needing to drill in the ANWHAR area to the north and west of these areas.
There was a joke often told while I lived in Alaska. If Texas doesn't like being second in size to Alaska, we could cut Alaska in half and make two states. Then Texas could be third.
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