Friday, April 02, 2004
By Mike Chambers, Associated Press
JUNEAU, Alaska — Gov. Frank Murkowski said he will open lease sales
in state waters offshore of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge
(ANWR) and the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska.
Citing frustration with what he calls "America's extreme environmental
community," Murkowski said this week he will do what he can
as governor to spur Arctic oil development.
"While the U.S. House and Senate remain gridlocked over opening
ANWR for oil development, I am not burdened by that process,"
said Murkowski, who spent 22 years in the U.S. Senate before becoming
governor in 2002.
The oil and gas lease sales are planned for October. State waters
extend out 3 miles in the Chukchi and Beaufort seas.
It is unclear how much of the area will be leased, but the two
areas amount to about 1 million acres. About 670,000 acres of submerged
lands lie off the coast of the petroleum reserve and 350,000 acres
are off the coast of the wildlife refuge.
The lease sales, scheduled for October, could lead to oil production
wells to offset the nation's dependance on foreign oil, Murkowski
said.
"It seems like a kind of foolish attempt at brinksmanship
on the part of Gov. Murkowski," said Matthew Niemerski, spokesman
for Defenders of Wildlife.
Some areas offshore of the petroleum reserve have been leased and
are producing oil, Murkowski said. These include the Northstar,
Point McIntyre, and Endicott fields.
The lease sales could affect areas set aside by the state to protect
whales, which are still hunted by Alaska Natives.
Current offshore drilling activity already has forced hunters to
go farther out to sea for their whale hunts, said state Sen. Donny
Olson, a Democrat whose district spans the federal areas.
Murkowski said he is sensitive to concerns of potential harm caused
to Alaska Native subsistence whaling and is willing to mitigate
impact on whales. He said he ordered Department of Natural Resources
Commissioner Tom Irwin to work with North Slope communities.
Source: Associated Press
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