At a vast 23 million acres -- an area equal in size to the state of Indiana -- the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska, more aptly called the Western Arctic Reserve, is the largest remaining unprotected wild area in the United States. Today, a massive industrial scheme threatens to spin a web of pipelines, roads, oil wells, mines, and air strips deep into the heart of America's vast Western Arctic wilderness, forever marring this remarkable landscape.

In 2003, the immense northwest planning area -- nearly 9 million acres of wildlife and culturally-rich land -- was considered for oil and gas leasing. Despite calls for a balanced approach between development and environmental protection by more than 95,000 Americans and 100 scientists, the Bush administration announced November 20 that it would put the entire area up for oil and gas leasing. Incredibly, the administration decided that not a single acre was worthy of protection. Conservationists had backed a managment plan for the area that would allow some oil and gas leasing, but would protect such plases as Kasegaluk Lagoon, Peard Bay, Dease Inlet-Meade River, Southern Ikpikpuk River, and Colville River Special Area -- home to polar bears, beluga whales, endangered spectacled and Steller's eiders, nesting yellow-billed loons and peregrine falcons, and other wildlife wildlife. This Audubon Wildlife Alternative, coupled with wilderness and wild and scenic designations, would have been a sound plan for the area.

In 1998, a leasing program for the 4.6 million-acre northeast planning area was launched, with sales held in 1999 and 2002. Leases were offered across 87% of the area, and seismic exploration continues to be allowed in the entire area. Interior Secretary Babbitt withdrew about 593,000 acres in the Teshekpuk Lake area from leasing, but the oil industry is now pressing to lease this remaining part of the northeast planning area, despite its international importance to molting geese.

The oil lease planning process for the south planning area of the Western Arctic Reserve -- nearly all of the remaining land outside of the northeast and northwest planning areas - is expected to begin in 2004. In 1980, an appropriations rider opened the Western Arctic Reserve to an expedited leasing program, and the Bureau of Land Management held four earlier sales from 1981 to 1984.

It is short sighted to plunder our heritage of wild lands in the Western Arctic Reserve without first considering what we stand to lose by such activity; for if we do not safeguard those areas of ecological and cultural value, they will be gone forever.

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