arctic national wildlife refuge, alaska, coastal plain resource assessment

231 Pages·2011·34.58 MB·English

ARCTIC NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE, ALASKA,
COASTAL PLAIN RESOURCE ASSESSMENT
REPORT AND RECOMMENDATION TO THE CONGRESS OF THE UNITED STATES
AND FINAL LEGISLATIVE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT
U.S. Department of the Interior

Date : 01/24/03 User ID : sasscer
Bib# 100743 Status: Cataloging Complete
Created 03/07/95 Operator:
Updated 08/21/95 Operator:
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1102 SaU.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
245 10 SaArctic National Wildlife Refuge, Alaska, coastal plain resource assessment: $breport and recommendation to the Congress of the
United States and final legislative environmental impact statement / $cprepared by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in cooperation
with the U.S. Geological Survey and the Bureau of Land Management; [Clough, N.K.; Patton, P.C.; and Christiansen, A.C., editors].
260 $a[Washington, D.C.] : SbThe Service, $c[1987]
300 $a2 v. (1226 p.): $bill., maps ; $c28 cm.
500 $a"April 1987." *
500 SaFive maps on folded sheets in pocket of v. 1. ;|:
500 $a"In accordance with Section 1002 of the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act, and the National Environmental Policy
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**!
504 Salncludes bibliographies. . *
505 0 $a[v.l.] Report~[v.2.] Appendix Public comments and responses.
650 0 SaPetroleum reserves SzAlaska.
650 0 SaPetroleum industry and trade SxEnvironmental aspects SzAlaska.
650 0 SaNatural gas SzAlaska SxReserves.
651 0 SaArctic National Wildlife Refuge (Alaska)
700 SaClough, N. K.
710 SaGeological Survey (U.S.)
710 SaUnited States. SbBureau of Land Management.
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740 0 SaCoastal plain resource assessment: Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, Alaska.
7QQ
01/24/03 List: Items for Bib 100743 Page No. 1
Barcode/Collection/Volume/Call No./Copy/Enum Location
31819003889991 585.3(286) Un32aaf D
BOOK 1 c.l v. 1
31819000134342 585.3(286) Un32aaf D
BOOK 2 c.lv. 2
31820000349245 585.3(286) Un32aaf M
BOOK c.l v. 1
81634* 585.3(286) Un32aaf R
BOOK c.l
u
UNITED STATES
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
ARCTIC NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE, ALASKA,
COASTAL PLAIN RESOURCE ASSESSMENT
REPORT AND RECOMMENDATION TO THE CONGRESS OF THE UNITED STATES
AND FINAL LEGISLATIVE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT
APRIL
In accordance with Section 1002 of the
Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act,
and the National Environmental Policy Act
Prepared by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
in cooperation with U.S. Geological Survey
and the Bureau of Land Management
ARCTIC NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE, ALASKA,
COASTAL PLAIN RESOURCE ASSESSMENT
Report and recommendation to the Congress of the United States
and final legislative environmental impact statement, 1987
Volume 1-Report
Volume 2-Appendix (Public comments and responses)
Copies are available from:
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Division of Refuge Management Division of Planning
18th & C Streets, NW., Room 2343 1011 E. Tudor Road
Washington, D.C. 20240 Anchorage, Alaska 99503
Copies can be seen at:
Anchorage Public Libraries Arctic Village Community Library
Fairbanks Public Libraries Kenai Community Library
Juneau Public Libraries North Slope Borough School Library
Arctic Slope Regional Corporation Library
Copies can also be seen at the following U.S. Geological Survey Libraries
and Public Inquiries Offices:
USGS Libraries:
Reston, VA National Center, 12201 Sunrise Valley Drive
Flagstaff, AZ 2255 North Gemini Drive
Menlo Park, CA 345 Middlefield Road
Golden, CO 1526 Cole Boulevard at West Colfax
USGS Public Inquiries Offices:
Anchorage, AK Room 101, 4230 University Drive
Los Angeles, CA Room 7638, Federal Building, 300 North Los Angeles Street
San Francisco, CA Room 504, Customhouse, 555 Battery Street
Denver, CO Room 169, Federal Building, 1961 Stout Street
Dallas, TX Room 1C45, Federal Building, 1100 Commerce Street
Salt Lake City, UT Room 8105, Federal Building, 125 South State Street
Spokane, WA Room 678, U.S. Courthouse, West 920 Riverside Avenue
Recommended citation for this report:
Clough, N. K.; Patton, P. C.; and Christiansen, A. C., editors, 1987, Arctic National Wildlife
Refuge, Alaska, coastal plain resource assessment-Report and recommendation to the
Congress of the United States and final legislative environmental impact statement:
Washington, D. C., U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Geological Survey, and Bureau of
Land Management, v. 1 (Report)-xviii + 208 p., 5 pis., 32 figs., 26 tables; v. 2 (Appendix-
Public comments and responses)-!! + 998 p.
COVER PHOTOGRAPH
A typical view southward across the coastal plain
toward the foothills and the Brooks Range.
April 21, 1987
Dear Reader:
The Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act (ANILCA) of 1980 set aside
more than 100 million acres of land in Alaska as national parks, preserves, wildlife
refuges, and wilderness areas. At that time, the Congress specifically left open the
question of future management of the 1.5-million-acre coastal plain of the 19-million-
acre Arctic National Wildlife Refuge because of the area's potentially enormous oil
and gas resources and its important wildlife values.
ANILCA directed the Department of the Interior to conduct biological and
geological studies of the Arctic Refuge coastal plain, and to provide the Congress
with the results of those studies and a recommendation on future management of the
area. The following report culminates more than 5 years of biological baseline
studies, surface geological studies, and two seasons of seismic exploration surveys.
The Arctic Refuge coastal plain is rated by geologists as the most promising onshore
oil and gas exploration area in the United States. It is estimated to contain more
than 9 billion barrels of recoverable oil, an amount approximately equal to Prudhoe
Bay, which currently provides one-fifth of U.S. domestic oil production.
In 1986, U.S. domestic oil production dropped 9 to 10 percent; production is
predicted to drop an additional 4 to 5 percent in 1987, if prices do not drop this
year. At the same time, U.S. oil consumption, which has exceeded domestic
production since the 1960's, is expected to increase. Our oil imports are projected
to exceed 50 percent of consumption in the 1990's. America's growing reliance on
imported oil for the rest of the century could have potentially serious ramifications
for our national security.
The following report analyzes the potential environmental consequences of five
management alternatives for the coastal plain, ranging from opening for lease of the
entire area for oil and gas development, to wilderness designation. A legislative
environmental impact statement has been integrated into the report.
Public hearings were held in January 1987 on a draft report and
recommendation. These hearings were attended by representatives of the
Governments of Canada and Alaska, Alaska Natives, other interested parties, and the
general public. Seven thousand of the 11,000 comments received favored opening
the Arctic Refuge coastal plain for oil and gas leasing and development.
Based on the analyses conducted, public comment on the draft report, the
national need for domestic sources of oil and gas, and the Nation's ability to develop
such resources in an environmentally sensitive manner as demonstrated by two
decades of success at Prudhoe Bay and elsewhere, I have selected as my preferred
alternative, making available for consideration the entire Arctic Refuge coastal plain
for oil and gas leasing. Although the entire area should be considered for leasing,
only a percentage would actually be leased, an even smaller percentage would be
explored, and if oil is discovered a still smaller percentage would be developed.

The step-by-step environmental planning, review, and evaluation procedures
included in a leasing program provide the best opportunity for the Department to
decide what areas to lease, based on the most accurate and advanced information
available at each step of the leasing process. Although the exact process depends
upon the leasing program established by the Congress, compliance with the National
Environmental Policy Act is required for each lease sale, exploration plan, and
development and production plan.
The following report provides information critical for the Congress to consider in
determining the future management of the Arctic Refuge coastal plain. The
Congress must enact legislation to authorize an oil and gas leasing program for the
area. We will work with the Congress to ensure that any leasing program developed
will avoid unnecessary adverse effects on the environment.
Legislative proposals are currently in the Congress to establish the formula for
sharing with the State of Alaska any revenues from an oil and gas leasing program in
the Arctic Refuge coastal plain. There also is a proposal that would direct a portion
of the Federal share of such revenues to conservation activities. We look forward to
working with the Congress on such matters as well as in determining future
management of the Arctic Refuge coastal plain. My preliminary recommendation
(Chapter VIII) will become final upon formal transmittal to the Congress of the
following report.
Sincerely,
DONALD PAUL MODEL