Obama declares war … on Alaska

Finally, Obama has declared war, not on tyrants like Iran's Ali Khamenei or bullies like Russia's Vladimir Putin, or even the Islamic militants who are dedicated to our destruction. No, Obama has declared war on Alaska!

On Sunday, just days after Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, released a bill that would permit drilling in a small area in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, the president launched a cruise missile in her direction, aimed at locking up the vast oil reserves in the area forever.

Through his minions, the president announced plans to set aside another 12 million acres in ANWR as "wilderness," which would effectively eliminate any chance of utilizing this valuable resource.

If there is any issue that unites Democrats, Republicans and Independents in the state, it is opening a small – teeny is more like it – area of ANWR's coastal plain for drilling.

Little wonder that Alaska's congressional representatives came out swinging after the announcement. Sen. Murkowski, the new chairman of the Energy and Natural Resources Committee, was taken completely by surprise. She, rightly, wants to know why this administration "is willing to negotiate with Iran but not Alaska."

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Obviously, this it is a case of "shoot first and ask questions later," if at all. It is clear that Obama knows nothing about her state. Anyone remember when Texas Gov. Rick Perry pleaded with Obama to visit the border with him in order to see the problems there firsthand? At that time, Obama was in the Longhorn State for a fundraiser, but couldn't be bothered.

You would think that if ANWR is so vital to preserve in its entirety Obama would have, at the very least, visited the area – but no! He's never even visited Alaska. If he had, he would know that the major points in his administration's statements on ANWR were lies.

The Lie:

• Drilling for oil in the Coastal Plain "could irreparably damage this ecological treasure and harm the Alaska Native communities who still depend on the caribou for subsistence."

The Truth:

• Native Alaskans who live near the area overwhelmingly support current legislation to open up this area of the Coastal Plain for drilling. ANWR is roughly the size of South Carolina, and the impact area would be about the size of your average airport.
• In nearby Prudhoe Bay, the caribou herd that migrates through there actually increased after drilling began and a pipeline was installed. When drilling began it numbered roughly 3,000. Today it's roughly 23,000. Far from being put off by the structures, the caribou actually gravitate toward the gravel pads, which keep insects away. See for yourself.
• Environmentalists cannot point to a single species that has become extinct as a result of drilling at Prudhoe Bay, or any that has been reduced.

The Lie:

• The Coastal Plain of the Arctic Refuge, one of the few remaining places in the country as pristine today as it was when the oldest Alaska Native communities first set eyes on it, is too precious to put at risk. By designating the area as wilderness, Congress could preserve the Coastal Plain in perpetuity – ensuring that this wild, free, beautiful and bountiful place remains in trust for Alaska Natives and for all Americans.

The Truth:

• The White House released pictures of beautiful snow-capped mountains teaming with wildlife. This is not the tundra area in question, which is dark and frozen in the winter. It's flat and featureless, dotted with mosquito-infested bogs in the summer. The area needed for the oil is about one-twentieth the size of Washington, D.C. Furthermore, is far from pristine. There is a military base nearby as well as a village with roads, houses and schools.

Before this designation, Alaska had 58 million acres of wilderness, more than half of all land with that level of protection in the entire United States.

The state of Alaska's economy is delicately balanced with about one-third coming from oil, one-third from other sources and one-third from the federal government, the highest per capita in the country.

Imagine how much better off Alaska would be with the thousands of private-sector jobs that would be created if this vast oil reserve could be used.

Imagine a U.S. that is allowed to use its natural resources and is no longer dependent on OPEC.

Imagine a White House that is no longer beholden to radical environmentalists.

Bottom line: Less oil means more windmills for Obama's supporters. Less oil means more dependent Alaskans. Less oil means a more dependent, less secure United States.

Media wishing to interview Jane Chastain, please contact [email protected].