FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 
December 19, 2005

Contacts:                                          
William Lutz     202.772.0269       
Deborah Bagocius 202.772.0239

HOUSE AUTHORIZES DRILLING 
IN ARCTIC NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE

OIL AND GAS COMPANIES GIVEN ACCESS TO PRISTINE WILDLIFE REFUGE

Washington, DC – Defenders of Wildlife today decried the House’s early morning vote to drill in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge as one of the pro-drilling faction’s most egregious assaults on the environment.

"The battle over drilling in the Arctic Refuge has been a defining national conservation struggle for decades. In the end, House leaders had to resort to trickery to advance their efforts to open the Arctic Refuge because they could not pass it using normal procedures," said Rodger Schlickeisen, President of Defenders of Wildlife.

The language authorizing oil and gas drilling in the Arctic Refuge was included in the Defense Appropriations Bill passed by the U.S. House of Representatives early Monday morning. Conferees on the Defense bill added the provision even though it is not germane to the subject of the bill and was not a part of either the original House or Senate bills. Senator Ted Stevens (R-AK) forced the drilling provision onto the Defense bill at the last minute after he realized they did not have the votes to pass the provision through the final budget reconciliation bill.

"Clearly House members ignored bipartisan opposition and the wishes of their constituents, millions of whom called, e-mailed, mailed and gathered in Washington to voice their opposition to drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge," Schlickeisen said. "It’s tragic that in the end their voices were drowned out by the high-paid oil lobbyists who worked the halls and backrooms of Congress as these last-minute, closed-door negotiations were going on."

"The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge is one of the last pristine wildlife places on earth. It was established to serve as a wildlife haven, an untouched piece of wilderness for the enjoyment of future generations," Schlickeisen said. "This is truly a sad day for America’s natural heritage."

Defenders of Wildlife is not conceding the fight for the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. The conference report including the Defense bill now goes to the U.S. Senate where it could face an uphill battle for no reason other than that it contains the Arctic drilling provision. Defenders of Wildlife is calling on Senator Stevens to drop the drilling provision and to stop playing politics with the funding our troops need to do their jobs.

"The Arctic Refuge has remained closed to drilling for decades and we will continue to use every tool in our arsenal to protect and preserve this spectacular wilderness area from senselessly destructive drilling," resolved Schlickeisen. "To approve this provision, the Senate will have to violate their own rules. Obviously we’re counting on the Senate to demonstrate fidelity to their own institution, and not to accede to the prompting of one bullying senator."