Forum Index > Public Lands Stewardship > why isn't ANWR a wilderness area
 Reply to topic
Previous :: Next Topic
Author Message
iron
Member
Member


Joined: 10 Aug 2008
Posts: 6391 | TRs | Pics
Location: southeast kootenays
iron
Member
PostTue Nov 28, 2017 12:09 pm 
isn't the way to end this back and forth about drilling in the alaska national wildlife refuge simply to designate the area as wilderness?

Back to top Reply to topic Reply with quote Send private message
MtnGoat
Member
Member


Joined: 17 Dec 2001
Posts: 11992 | TRs | Pics
Location: Lyle, WA
MtnGoat
Member
PostTue Nov 28, 2017 12:13 pm 
That will just intensify the back and forth, won't it? I'm not sure a massive regulatory taking is the right move if the idea is to get away from a back and forth situation.

Diplomacy is the art of saying 'Nice doggie' until you can find a rock. - Will Rogers
Back to top Reply to topic Reply with quote Send private message
Randito
Snarky Member



Joined: 27 Jul 2008
Posts: 9495 | TRs | Pics
Location: Bellevue at the moment.
Randito
Snarky Member
PostTue Nov 28, 2017 12:47 pm 
It's not a designated wilderness area because Congress never voted for a bill to designate it as such. Areas typically get designated when there is support for a bill from the congressional delegation from that state. Alaska's delegation is keen on oil development, so they haven't supported such a designation. With oil prices down and thus oil tax revenues the Alaska State government is facing big deficits and is contemplating some sort of tax imposed on citizens. Which would upend the Alaska economy and politics as currently there are no state level sales or income taxes and Alaska residents are used to receiving thousands of dollars FROM the Permanent Fund every year. So the Alaska congressional delegation is keen to permit oil exploration in ANWR in the hopes of keeping state coffers funded without disrupting the status quo

Back to top Reply to topic Reply with quote Send private message
jinx'sboy
Member
Member


Joined: 30 Jul 2008
Posts: 927 | TRs | Pics
Location: on a great circle route
jinx'sboy
Member
PostTue Nov 28, 2017 1:16 pm 
The 1980 ANILCA -Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act - set aside many areas as Parks, Refuges, and Wilderness. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alaska_National_Interest_Lands_Conservation_Act Because of the oil prospects, the Arctic plain was not protected as some had wanted, as Randy points out. The US Fish and Wildlife Service ended up with responsibility for the area....called ‘Section 1002’ after the part of the ANILCA that dealt with it. https://www.fws.gov/refuge/arctic/1002man.html

Back to top Reply to topic Reply with quote Send private message
Kim Brown
Member
Member


Joined: 13 Jul 2009
Posts: 6900 | TRs | Pics
Kim Brown
Member
PostTue Nov 28, 2017 1:25 pm 
A good book to read about the battles to keep wilderness and other conservation designations out of Alaska is Jack Ward Thomas' The Journals of a Forest Service Chief. Sounds like it'd be a boring read, but it is far from boring. You'll throw up a little in your mouth when you read the ugly b.s.that goes on. Alaska's Sen Murkowski re: ANWR in particular. Here's a quick story from 1995 Newsweek re: ANWR and how insane it was getting to be. It don't come easy.

"..living on the east side of the Sierra world be ideal - except for harsher winters and the chance of apocalyptic fires burning the whole area." Bosterson, NWHiker's marketing expert
Back to top Reply to topic Reply with quote Send private message
JVesquire
Member
Member


Joined: 28 Jun 2006
Posts: 993 | TRs | Pics
Location: Pasco, WA
JVesquire
Member
PostTue Nov 28, 2017 2:41 pm 
Just to clarify, large parts of ANWR are wilderness, just not the North Slope, which is what I think you are asking about. See: http://www.wilderness.net/map

Back to top Reply to topic Reply with quote Send private message
drm
Member
Member


Joined: 24 Feb 2007
Posts: 1376 | TRs | Pics
Location: The Dalles, OR
drm
Member
PostWed Nov 29, 2017 11:53 am 
Just as Republicans have wanted to open 10-02 to drilling, others have wanted to give it wilderness designation, but so far both have failed to change the current status. I have to wonder if the low price of oil will undermine attempts to put out leases if it is legally opened up, at least in the short run.

Back to top Reply to topic Reply with quote Send private message
   All times are GMT - 8 Hours
 Reply to topic
Forum Index > Public Lands Stewardship > why isn't ANWR a wilderness area
  Happy Birthday speyguy, Bandanabraids!
Jump to:   
Search this topic:

You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum