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Alaskans agree: Keep the Arctic in the OCS lease sale program    

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RDC Comment Letter (08/15/16)

Alaskan Coalition Letter (06/16/16)

Alaskan Coalition Letter Press Release
RDC Comment Letter (04/22/16)

Earlier this year, U.S. Department of the Interior Secretary Sally Jewell and Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) Director Abigail Ross Hopper announced the proposal for the nation's Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Oil and Gas Leasing Program for 2017-2022.

The proposed Arctic Program includes one sale in each the Chukchi and Beaufort seas, and the Cook Inlet planning areas. An alternative plan the Interior and BOEM are considering could exclude any new leasing, as well as a reduction of other activity in Arctic waters.

What does this mean for Alaska?

  • One-third of Alaskan jobs are tied to the oil and gas industry, and future jobs are at serious risk if leases are taken off the table.
  • Protecting U.S. offshore lease agreements protects America’s international competitiveness as other nations are looking to access Arctic resources for development.
  • For many Arctic communities, the oil and gas industry represents a vital opportunity for serious economic development benefiting all Alaska Natives.
  • Arctic exploration has enriched Alaska’s environmental stewardship in the region through programs like the Outer Continental Shelf Environmental Assessment Program, the Arctic Nearshore Impact Monitoring in the Development Area program, and more than three decades of fish sampling in the Beaufort Sea.