We have been asked to sign on to a letter from the Alaska coalition to the Bureau of Land Management in support of Teshekpuk Lake in Alaska. Please see Lois Norrgard's message below followed by a draft letter from us. The letter is based on a sample letter provided by Lois. Please send feedback by November 1 as comments are due November 2.
Thanks.Neila Seaman, MPA Director Sierra Club, Iowa Chapter 3839 Merle Hay Road, Suite 280 Des Moines, IA 50310 [log in to unmask] 515-277-8868
From: [log in to unmask]: [log in to unmask]: Arctic Threat sign on letter - please endorseDate: Mon, 15 Oct 2007 10:37:13 -0500
Dear Alaska Coalition of Iowa,
I am circulating an Organizational Sign-on Letter for your endorsement, deadline to endorse is November 2nd. Please take a look - this letter is in regard to the Teshekpuk Lake area in northern Alaska.
As the letter below points out Teshekpuk Lake (or T-Lake for short) is an amazing arctic tundra wetland complex that supports over 5 Million waterfowl and shorebirds from six continents, it is in fact Alaska's highest density of nesting waterfowl and shorebirds, many of these flocks come to T-Lake to molt and are thus flightless and need this special area for survival. Presently No area in Alaska Western Arctic is protected from oil and gas drilling - much of the land is in what is called the NPRA or National Petroleum Reserve Alaska. There are some very special places within the NPRA that for 3 decades have been considered "special management zones" and been set aside from development for wildlife and subsistence needs - the present administration is now proposing to open these areas.
Other wildlife that use this area are gray wolves, polar bear, grizzly bear, and a 45,000 member caribou herd. Native people in several nearby villages, including Barrow and Nuiqsut, depend on the land and animals to live their subsistence lifestyle and numerous sites considered sacred to the Inupiat people are near Teshekpuk Lake.
Teshekpuk Lake's previous protection is being removed under current proposed plans - these plans are open for public comment until Nov 6.
Please consider endorsing the letter below by November 2nd (to allow us to finalize) or send a letter on your letterhead to Sect. Kempthorne care of the address below - the attached letter is a draft prepared for your use.
If you send an individual letter - please forward a copy to my email address, in this way we can keep records of numbers of comments generated on this important issue.
Thank you very much for your fast action on this! - Lois Norrgard
Comments can also be submitted via:
Fax, 1-888-907-3677,
Comments can also be submitted using the web form at:
http://www.blm.gov/ak/st/en/prog/planning/npra_general/ne_npra/ne_npr-a_supplement.html
ORGANIZATIONAL SIGN ON LETTER:
October 15, 2007
Northeast NPR-A Supplemental IAP/EIS Comments
ENSR Corporation
Suite 490
1835 South Bragaw Street
Anchorage, AK 99508
RE: Draft Supplemental Integrated Activity Plan/Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS) for Northeast portion of the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska (NPR-A).
To Whom It May Concern:
On behalf of the Sierra Club, Iowa Chapter, thank you for considering our written comments about the Draft Supplemental Integrated Activity Plan/Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS) for Northeast portion of the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska (NPR-A), and the threat the plan poses to the currently protected and biologically important Teshekpuk Lake region. We strongly encourage the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to adopt Alternative A, the “No Action” Alternative and take no action that will lead to additional oil and gas development within the boundaries of the Teshekpuk Lake Special Area.
The Sierra Club, Iowa Chapter represents approximately 6,000 Sierra Club members. Inspired by nature, we work together to protect our communities and the planet. The Iowa Chapter has been active in the national Sierra Club, America’s oldest, largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, since 1972. The Chapter actively works in partnership with the Alaska Coalition to promote conservation in one of America’s last wild places.
The Teshekpuk Lake area in the northeastern part of the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska (NPR-A) is among the most sensitive and important wildlife habitats in the entire circumpolar Arctic. The area contains vital habitat for migratory shorebirds and waterfowl, and other wildlife, including the 45,000-head Teshekpuk Lake Caribou herd. The area’s abundance and diversity of wildlife is vitally important to the subsistence-based culture of Native Alaskans on the North Slope. Oil and gas development in other parts of the North Slope has resulted in documented human health impacts.
Because of its biological importance, the Teshekpuk Lake area has been protected from oil and gas development for 30 years. At a time when global warming is dramatically affecting the Arctic, it is all the more important to protect this vital wildlife habitat and not put further stress on the globally important wildlife it supports by allowing oil and gas development.
We urge BLM to adopt the SEIS’s No Action alternative and maintain or expand protection for the important wildlife habitat in the Teshekpuk Lake region from oil and gas development.
Thank you for considering our comments.
Sincerely,
Pam Mackey-Taylor, Chair
ALASKAWILDERNESSLEAGUE
Lois NorrgardUpper MidwestRegion Field Staff
10368 Columbus CircleBloomington, MN 55420Tel/Fax: 952-881-7282Cell: 612-998-6484www.AlaskaWild.org
Your Land. Your Voice.
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