Juneau, Alaska – In light of recent announcements by the federal government to lock up more of Alaska’s resource abundant land, the Alaska House Monday unanimously passed a resolution by House Resources’ Co-Chair Dave Talerico telling them they’re doing it wrong.
House Joint Resolution 9 urges the United States Congress to open the coastal plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to oil and gas development, and tells the Department of the Interior to recognize the private property rights of land owners in and adjacent to ANWR.
“With the federal government continuing to attack Alaska’s sovereignty, we need to send a unanimous message back to Washington, D.C. that we are not backing down,” Talerico, R-Healy, said. “Opening ANWR’s 1002 area will benefit Alaska and the country while having minimal effects on the environment and native subsistence rights.”
The resolution became a priority after President Obama and Interior Secretary Sally Jewell launched and unprecedented assault on Alaska. The Interior Department plans to immediately begin managing the 1.5 million acre coastal plain of ANWR as wilderness – adding to the 18 million acres of ANWR already designated as wilderness.
Under the terms of the 1980 Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act (ANILCA), additional wilderness designations are barred in Alaska without the express approval of Congress.
HJR 9 now moves to the Alaska Senate for consideration.
