Arctic Drilling – 2019, January Update

The Race to Drill Arctic National Wildlife Refuge

On December 20^th the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) released the draft environmental impact statement (DEIS) for the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge Coastal Plain oil and gas leasing program. The document can be found here in its entirety.

Initial analysis of the DEIS reveals a remarkably deficient document and a flawed administrative process that (among many failings) underestimates the impacts to the Arctic Refuge’s iconic wildlife – including polar bears, caribou, and birds, minimizes the adverse impacts to the freshwater resources on which the region’s ecological systems depend, and fails to accurately assess the potential impacts of Arctic oil and gas development on climate change. While the agency is accepting public comments on the DEIS until February 11, 2019, its commitment to public participation and open process is under scrutiny.

Media outlets – including Alaska Public Media – reported this week that the Trump Administration is moving ahead to authorized oil and gas leasing in the Arctic Refuge in spite of a partial government shutdown that has idled 800,000 Federal employees. The continued activity by BLM staff has attracted the attention of Congress. According to AK Public Media, Congressman Raul Grijaiva of Arizona has written to acting Interior Secretary David Bernhardt questioning the continuation of work on the Arctic Refuge and the National Petroleum reserve during the shutdown. “Asking people to comment on two major development processes in the Arctic with huge potential environmental and human consequences without anyone in the agency able to answer questions defeats the purpose of the public participation process,” Grijalva wrote.

The Department of Interior’s juggernaut to permit leasing and stymie public participation is unacceptable. Watch for an action alert that will provide more information on how to develop and submit your input on the Draft EIS to the BLM.

Thumper Trucks Stymied by Government Shutdown

At least for now

A phalanx of rubber-tracked “thumper trunks” is poised to roll across the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. A recent article in the Alaska Daily News reports that heavy-duty trucks operated by SAExploration are awaiting a green light from the US Fish and Wildlife Service and the Bureau of Land Management to unleash ground-vibrating seismic testing gear across the Refuge’s frozen coastal plain in search of oil-rich geologic formations. The data acquired would be used by oil companies interested in acquiring drilling leases in a sale anticipated as soon as this year.

The partial Government shutdown has stalled the ambitious plan. Federal regulations require opportunities for public input on the project’s Environmental Assessment (EA) and draft Incidental Take Permit for Polar Bears before the thumper trucks can roll. To minimize disturbance, the work can only be accomplished while the land is frozen. But seismic testing, even on frozen tundra, brings significant risks to wildlife. Conservation groups and polar bear experts have raise concerns over the potential disturbance to snoozing mothers bears with cubs without complete knowledge of den locations and adequate protocols for avoiding disruption.

It is anticipated that the process will be aggressively pushed forward when (and if) the Government shutdown is resolved. Watch for additional updates, including information on how you can provide your input on the EA and Incidental Take Permit.

(Illustration by World Wildlife Fund, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rMYpG0m51F8)

2019 – January Advocacy Report

Advocacy Update

by David Raskin, Friends Board President

The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge is under heavy attack by the Trump Administration!

The BLM released a Draft Environmental Statement (DEIS) for Oil Leasing in the Coastal Plain. Comments are due by February 11, 2019. (Click here)

This DEIS addresses only the leasing portion of this horrible plan. BLM plans to prepare an additional DEIS for on-the-ground activities and drilling that may occur following projected lease sales. Also, preparation of a separate BLM environmental assessment of potential impacts of seismic exploration on the Coastal Plain and wildlife is underway. We expect to see that soon and will keep people informed when that is released for what is expected to be a 30-day public comment period.

We are working with many organizations to prepare comments on the Oil Leasing DEIS, which should be in the preliminary draft later this month. In the meantime, organizations are preparing information and talking points that we will make available for individuals to prepare and submit their comments. It is crucial that large numbers of concerned citizens let the BLM know that desecrating the Arctic Refuge would be a major environmental and social disaster. Please check our website and your emails for notices and information that will be provided as they become available.

This is the most important battle ever waged to save the Arctic Refuge, its wildlife, and the Gwich’in way of life. We need your involvement and commitment. We need your help.

Alaska Refuges, Friends, and the Public Suffer from Shut Down: What You Can Do

by Poppy Benson, Friends Outreach Coordinator

What on earth does “the wall” have to do with Tetlin’s lynx research project, a school children’s Discovery Lab in Homer or a snowshoe walk in Kenai? Well these programs and so much more are being held hostage to the budget fight in Washington. The federal government shutdown, now in its third week, has shuttered all Alaska Refuge visitor centers and offices, canceled environmental education and public programs, postponed meetings and agreements, delayed hiring even of volunteers, postponed commenting on the Arctic Refuge oil leasing EIS, and postponed the start of winter biology projects such as the lynx project and moose counts.

Only 21 employees in Alaska were deemed “essential” and they are working without pay mainly to protect facilities and carry out the shutdown. All others have been sent home as the Fish & Wildlife Service, without a budget, has no authority to pay employees. Two Friends events have already been cancelled due to the shutdown and several others are at risk. We can’t meet with Refuge staff if they aren’t on the job. Below is a list of some closures, cancellations and postponements that we know about. It is hard to get information on the scope of the cancellations when there are no refuge staff available to talk to. We also do not know if refuge wildlife and lands are suffering damage such as is reported for the Lower 48 National Parks and Refuges. All lands remain open to public use but the public is warned they are on their own.

CLOSED:

Alaska Islands & Ocean Visitor Center, Homer (Alaska Maritime Refuge)
Kenai National Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center, Soldotna
Kodiak National Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center, Kodiak
Yukon Delta National Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center, Bethel
All Alaska Public Information Centers

CANCELED:

Friends Strategic Planning Workshop & “Meet the Managers” events
Environmental education programs – all Refuges

NOT MAINTAINED:

All Refuge Facebook pages, web pages and other social media communicating with the public.
Refuge trails, roads and cabins

AT RISK:

Friends Membership meeting on January 15. Won’t have a speaker if shut down in effect.
Friends Discovery Trip to the Dolly Varden Cabin on the Kenai Refuge, February 1 – 3
Friends opening of the Coldfoot Visitor Center for aurora watchers, February 15 to April 15. The issue here is whether or not the extensive background checks can be completed in time.
Yukon River Fishery Decisions – State Board of Fish Meeting son the Yukon & Kuskokwim finfish – January 15 – will be no Yukon Delta Refuge staff or FWS fisheries participation
Arctic Refuge comments on oil and gas leasing of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge – February 11
Alaska Marine Science Symposium January 28 – no FWS or NOAA participation if the shutdown continues.
The hiring of refuge summer seasonal staff and volunteers.
Winter biology projects.
Rural children’s Migratory Bird Calendar Contest
UAF Oral History Project planned for several Native communities

TAKE ACTION:

Contact our Congressional Delegation and the President and tell them to quit holding Alaska’s National Wildlife Refuges hostage over a budget fight. Tell them:
this shut down is costing all of us taxpayers money and opportunities to enjoy our public lands, programs, and facilities; the impact of this shut down will extend well beyond a return to work as our hardworking refuge staffs will be hard put to make up for this time lost from the job; and it is a breach of faith to not pay employees especially those who are still required to work.

It doesn’t take but a minute to fill in the email forms on our delegations’ web pages:

Senator Lisa Murkowski

Senator Dan Sullivan

Representative Don Young

President Trump

Not from Alaska? Find links to your representatives and updates on the shut down at the National Wildlife Refuge Association here.