FAIRBANKS—More than a hundred Fairbanks locals filled the conference room at the Carlson Center Tuesday evening to provide public testimony on potential lease sales in the 1002 area of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. The testimony was part of an Environmental Impact scoping meeting organized by the Alaska Bureau of Land Management.
Testimony landed on both sides of the issue with state department and oil industry officials advocating for further exploration and development and local environmental advocates voicing concern regarding further steps forward the lease sale process.
"From our perspective as AOGA, I think we have a great track record of coexisting with wildlife in the areas we develop,” said Kara Moriarty, president and CEO of the Alaska Oil and Gas Association. “When you put that into context, they believe that responsible development in the 1002 area can create additional decades of economic prosperity for the state."
Mark Wiggin, deputy commissioner of the Alaska Department of Natural Resources, echoed similar sentiments.
Wiggin shared a message from the administration of Gov. Bill Walker noting the importance in community involvement in the EIS and planning process but noting the ability to develop the 1002 area while mitigating environmental risk.
“Our great state of Alaska has always been a place of extraordinary beauty, a land graced with the bounty of natural resource wealth. In 1959, Alaska was founded as a natural resource development state,” Wiggin said. “The Alaska Statehood Act describes the state’s responsibility to protect fish and wildlife resources as well as to regulate minimal resource development. As Alaskans we share the responsibility and the opportunity to maintain, conserve and responsibly develop these resources for the benefit of all of our people.”
Those against development spoke of climate change risks, possible impacts to the Porcupine Caribou Herd and Alaska Native rights during the meeting.
“With its original populations of birds, fish, insects, plants and large animals, it’s one of the few places on earth that I regard as true wilderness and therefore worthy of fighting for against the fraudulent wishes of the Trump administration,” said Frank Keim, a long-time Alaskan and avid outdoors enthusiast.
Steve Shannon, chair of Alaska State chapter of Backcountry Hunters and Anglers, spoke in favor of protecting the 1002 area to preserve continued wilderness in an area he says is particularly valuable for public access.
“We support balanced, responsible resource development,” Shannon said. “However, developing the 1002 area does not represent a balanced or responsible approach.”
Shannon noted that much of the North Slope is already populated by oil development infrastructure and some should remain protected.
“It is in the public’s best interest to have some of the North Slope area free from oil and gas development,” Shannon said. “BHA is not asking for no drilling on the north slope, we only ask that it be balance with other important resources and human values.”
Rhonda Pitka, chief of the village of Beaver and vice chair of the Council of Athabaskan Tribal Governments, said she was missing the time to set up her grandmother’s fish camp to travel to Alaska and testify in solidarity with her northern Gwich’in neighbors.
Beaver is located about 110 miles north of Fairbanks.
“We live within the Yukon Flats National Wildlife Refuge. Our relatives live within the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge,” Pitka said. “Much of our livelihood is dependent on those resources.”
Pitka said these areas are heavily impacted by federal land.
Pitka also noted the importance of translating scoping papers and development plans into Gwich’in for first language speakers to fully understand that process and plans.
These ideas were echoed by representatives of the Gwich’in nation who testified Tuesday night.
Bernadette Demientieff, director of the Gwich’in Steering Committee, said she is concerned that if development continues as it is currently, there will not be enough caribou left to sustain future generations.
“I do not want my babies to be struggling to survive because of short sighted decisions and greed,” Demientieff said. “If we take care of the land, the water and the animals, then our future ancestors will have a chance at survival.”
Demientieff emphasized the importance of consulting the Gwich’in Nation before moving forward in the process.
“This is about our identity as Gwich’in,” she said. “If you destroy the Coastal Plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, you will be violating the rights of the Gwich’in Nation.”
Dana Tizya-Tramm, a Vutnut Gwich’in Councillor, echoed these sentiments.
“I’m going to use my voice today, one that has traveled across this land for thousands of generations, for my people were the first in this area, before written history my people were living sustainably with these caribou,” Tizya-Tramm said.
Tizya-Tramm traveled to Washington, D.C., earlier last year to testify in the Senate Energy Committee against the opening of the 1002 area for oil exploration and development.
“Whether or not you support this process, it is a complete representation of the complete degradation of your democracy from the forefathers, to the constitution, to the documents that we’re all so proud of, was an inconvenience and it was pushed through and I should know because I was there,” he said. “This is about money, this is about oil and gas, because it is definitely not about honoring agreements.”
Scoping meetings will continue across Alaska over the next few months. A schedule of future meetings can be found below:
• Anchorage’s Dena’ina Center, 4:30-9 p.m., May 30
• Utqiagvik’s Inupiat Heritage Center, 5 p.m, May 31
• Venetie tribal hall, 10 a.m., June 12, south of the refuge
• Washington, D.C., at the National Housing Center, 4:30-9 p.m., June 15
Editor's note: This story has been updated to include comments from those supporting oil development in the refuge. The comments were made when the News-Miner was not present at the meeting. They have been added here following a review of a recording of the event.
Contact staff writer Erin Granger at 459-7544. Follow her on Twitter: @FDNMPolitics.
