the Adventure Lifestyle magazine

DRILLING AND KILLING TH E LAST FRONTI ER I n the isolated northeastern corner of Alaska I ies one of the most complete and undisturbed ecosystems on earth. Arctic National Wildlife Refuge contains a l.5 million-acre coastal plain so ful l of migratory animals and rich vegetation that it is known as "America's Serengeti." There are no roads, developed trails or campgrounds. Visitors access the park by flying into small landing strips in the foothills of the Brooks Mountain Range and then trekking into the park. "It offers some of the best backpacking anywhere," says Tom Campion of the Alaska Wi lderness League. "It's the sol itude ... There are very few signs of human life here." Visitors can hike virtual ly unexplored valleys, ride one of the many rivers that traverse the coastal plain, paddle the Arctic and wit- ness the migration of the largest caribou herd in the world. Every spring, 150,000 caribou migrate to the coastal plain to feed on the abundant plant life and give birth to their calves on the relatively predator-free Arctic coast. For thousands of years, the native Gwich'in Indians have relied on the caribous' meat and hide for surviva l. To the Gwich'in, the coastal plain is the Sacred Place Where Life Begins. It is also the nesting area for millions of migratory birds from as far away as Africa and the home of wolves, grizzlies, wolverines and musk oxen. In the winter months, it becomes the most impor- tant onshore denning area for North American polar bears. But the Wildlife Refuge is at serious risk. With oil prices rising and America's appetite for fossil fuels as insatiable as ever, certa in politicians and oi l industry executives have been greedily eyeing the potentially oi l-rich coastal plain. If they have their way, some of the best backcountry in North America, a his- toric way of life and an entire ecosystem could be forever destroyed in exchange for six months worth of oi l. Most of the Wildlife Refuge was given permanent protection from development in 1980, but the coastal plain received only temporary protect ion. "The coastal plain has been in legislative purgatory for the past 20 years," says Cindy Shogun, also of the Alaska Wilderness League. Unsatisfied with the 90 percent of the northern Alaskan shoreline that is already open to oi l development, ALASKA'S ARCTIC REFUGE NATIONAL PARK drilling groups have lobbied continually for access to the coastal plain. In Apri l 1999, a provision to open the coastal plain passed the US Senate but fai led to clear the House. Senator Frank Murkowski of Alaska, the Chairman of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, has said he wil l continue to force the issue and plans to push a similar pro- vision later this year. Murkowski claims that "oil development in Alaska is done right. It is environmentally sound and keeps land disturbance to a minimum." This depends on how one defines the word mini- mum. At a minimum, it is estimated that dri lling on the coastal plain would involve the construction of hundreds of miles of roads and pipeline and the removal of over 50 million cubic yards of gravel from nearby rivers and streams. At a minimum, drilling could mean the end of si lence and solitude, limited access to rivers and dri ll ing stations instead of caribou on the coastal plain. Senator Murkowski's claims of environmental soundness also fa ll short. I n neighboring Prudhoe Bay, approx- imately 420 spi lls (including acid and other toxic wastes) have occurred annually since 1996 and air pollutants exceed the emission limits of at least six US states. Hundreds of miles of roads and pipel ines have blocked wildlife movement, toxic waste has polluted wetlands and millions of tons of gravel have been stripped from rivers for construction. Tom likens drilling on the coastal plain to damming the Grand Canyon or tapping Old Faithfu l for ener- gy. The very remoteness of t he Wi ldl ife Refuge's coastal plain may be what is preventing this national treasure from receiving permanent protection. Tom explains, "Because it's so remote, not many people have been here. But if you cou ld on ly see this place, its vastness, its beauty, you'd never want it touched. " - Derek Loosvelt WHAT ARE THE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES' POSITIONS ON DRILLING ON THE COASTAL PLAIN? GEORGE W BUSH: SUPPORTS OIL EXPLORATION AL GORE: OPPOSES OIL EXPLORATION

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