A unique ecosystem at risk

The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge encompasses one of the largest remaining complete ecosystems on earth. Located in northeastern Alaska, its 19 million acres include the Brooks Mountain Range and a 1.5 million acre section of the North Slope, the narrow coastal plain between the Brooks Range and the Arctic Ocean. Adjacent to the eastern boundary of the Arctic Refuge are Canada's Vuntut and Ivvavik National Parks.

In 1980, under President Carter, the Alaska National Interests Lands Conservation Act established the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, calling for conservation of fish and wildlife populations and habitats in their natural diversity. Section 1002 of the Act recognizes the significance of the North Slope within the Arctic Refuge. It defers management and development decisions on the coastal plain because of its importance for wildlife and, like the rest of the North Slope, its potential for oil and gas. The coastal plain is commonly referred to as the "1002 lands".

The 1002 lands are untouched by industrial development and represent the biological heart of the Arctic Refuge. Home to Dall sheep, grizzly and polar bear, wolves and muskoxen, the coastal plain is also important to species which spend part of their annual life cycle there, such as migratory birds and the Porcupine caribou herd. Though the Porcupine caribou live most of the year in mountainous regions of Alaska and Canada's Yukon and North West Territories, the herd migrates some 400 miles each spring to the coastal plain of the Arctic Refuge to bear and nurture their young.

Since 1987 attempts have been made by various members of Congress, and most recently by the Bush Administration, to open the 1002 lands for oil and gas exploration, development and production. Others have pushed for permanent wilderness protection.

Canada and the United States have committed to conservation of the Porcupine caribou herd and its habitat

In recognition of the need for cooperative management of the herd, Canada and the U.S. signed an Agreement on the Conservation of the Porcupine Caribou herd in 1987. Both countries have committed to protect the herd and its habitat and to consult each other concerning activities that are likely to cause significant long-term adverse impact.

At risk are the Porcupine caribou herd and the livelihood of Native people

The traditional way of life of the Gwitchin and Inuvialuit peoples, who have relied on the herd for thousands of years, is directly linked to the health and viability of the Porcupine caribou herd. Oil and gas development on the coastal plain will put the Porcupine caribou herd, and therefore the Gwitchin and Inuvialuit ability to sustain themselves, in jeopardy. Canada supports the Gwitchin position that the coastal plain must be preserved in its natural state to protect the environment and the Gwitchin way of life.

Porcupine caribou are vulnerable to development and improved oil and gas technology is not the answer

The Porcupine caribou herd is dependent upon the coastal plain of the Arctic Refuge for calving and rearing newborn calves and, ultimately, for its long-term survival. Unlike the Central Arctic herd, which has access to several acceptable calving habitats both on and off the North Slope, the Porcupine herd has few and poor alternatives. In years when heavy snow cover prevents the herd from reaching the coastal plain in time for calving, the herd population declines. A reduction in annual calf survival of as little as 5% would be sufficient to cause a decline in the Porcupine caribou herd.

Oil and gas development on the coastal plain will lead to loss of critical Porcupine caribou habitat and disturb and displace the animals during calving and rearing — the most sensitive stages of their life cycle. If forced to move, cows and calves will lose access to optimal forage and be exposed to increased predation and insect stress. Faced with deterioration of the health of cows and calves and higher mortality, the viability of the herd as a whole will be jeopardized.

To mitigate environmental impacts of oil and gas activity on the coastal plain, some advocate "small footprint" technologies such as directional drilling or ice roads. Others propose limiting human activities to specific times of the year when impacts on habitat and animals may be less. However, since petroleum reservoirs of the 1002 lands are not contiguous, numerous drilling pads may be required for exploration, thereby limiting the potential benefits of the small footprint during exploration. The production and transportation stages of development would require year-round activity and permanent infrastructure such as elevated pipelines, gravel roads, production facilities, aggregate pits and storage piles, work camps, and power and waste disposal plants.

Research shows that pregnant caribou and cows with newborn calves shy away from elevated pipelines and, the larger the group of cows and calves, the greater the reluctance to pass under such pipelines.

Canada has taken steps to protect the Porcupine caribou herd

In the 1970s, Canada prohibited development on the Yukon North Slope. In 1984 and 1993 respectively, Canada created Ivvavik and Vuntut National Parks. Adjacent to the Arctic Refuge, these parks protect the Canadian portion of the Porcupine caribou calving and rearing grounds. They were created despite reports of substantial oil and gas potential in the area.

Canada and the United States have a long and successful history of working together to protect and manage the environment, especially with respect to wildlife conservation. We also cooperate, to our mutual benefit, in the area of energy resource development. These relationships have been an example to the world and ones that we expect will continue to strengthen in coming months and years.

Canada supports responsible development in habitats which are not critical. The calving grounds on the coastal plain of the Arctic Refuge are critical to the survival of the Porcupine caribou herd and to the culture and way of life of the Gwitchin people.

Canada has protected its portion of the calving grounds. We urge the U.S. Congress and Administration to do the same — to provide wilderness protection to the calving grounds of the Porcupine caribou herd on the coastal plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.

To view the Canada-U.S. Agreement on the Protection of the Porcupine Caribou Herd go to http://arcticcircle.uconn.edu/ANWR/anwrindex.html. Visit the Vuntut Gwitchin www.oldcrow.yk.net, the Alaska Wilderness League www.alaskawild.org and the Canada-U.S Relations Site.

Oct. 11, 2001