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Defenders in Action: Arctic Refuge Saved Again
A last-minute attempt by oil company supporters in the U.S. Senate to open the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to drilling was scuttled in late December -- a major victory for wildlife and conservationists.
Senator Ted Stevens (R-Alaska) and other drilling advocates attached an Arctic drilling proposal to a Defense Department appropriations bill just days before the Senate was scheduled to adjourn for the year. The move was blocked by a close vote on December 21 after a handful of Republicans joined most Senate Democrats to protest the inclusion of the extraneous provision in a bill intended for our troops.
"Millions of Americans recognized the need to keep the Arctic refuge free from oil and gas drilling and they made their voices heard," says Rodger Schlickeisen, Defenders of Wildlife president. "The sneaky, backdoor attempts by some powerful pro-drilling proponents to sidestep our democratic process didn’t work. Americans understand the immense value of this spectacular refuge and did their part to save one of our nation's greatest wildlife areas."
Encompassing more than 19 million acres, the Arctic refuge is the largest wildlife refuge in the country. It provides a safe haven to a diverse array of wildlife including millions of migratory birds, caribou, bears, wolves, Dall sheep, muskoxen, arctic foxes and wolverines. Despite its vital importance to wild creatures, and the relatively small amount of oil that may lie beneath its surface, some members of Congress have been trying for years to open it to destructive oil and gas development.
At press time, it appeared that drilling proponents had been defeated for 2005. But Defenders of Wildlife expects the fight over the Arctic refuge to continue in 2006. "While we won this round, we will continue working to protect this special refuge for future generations," says Schlickeisen. "We will not relent and we will remain ever vigilant in the days ahead."
