At our November meeting, we had a delightful, informative talk from the Audubon Alaska Outreach Coordinator, Taldi Walter.

Audubon's concern in Alaska is the Teshekpuk Lake area, a fragile wilderness that is home to a diverse, migratory variety of shorebirds, waterfowl and wildlife. The concern we were enlightened about is the National Petroleum Reserve adjacent to the vast marshy wetlands surrounding Teshekpuk Lake, and the danger that drilling for gas and oil brings to this valuable wetland area.

The Teshekpuk Lake area has been recognized by Congress and three prior Interior Secretaries as a special area for it's importance to wildlife, not only in Alaska, but to our migratory birds throughout North America. In January 2006, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), under the current administration reversed the protection of this area, opening every acre of the area to petroleum leasing.

Despite over 200,000 public comments, it took a federal district court ruling to halt the lease sale in September 2006. The suit was brought by Audubon and other conservation groups to stop BLM from leasing any and all of the acreage to oil and gas activities. Now BLM is reviewing a draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) again to satisfy the allowing of oil drilling development in the area. Our letters and comments may help, once again, to detour this shortsighted action, critical to the wildlife in the area.

Providing roads, pipelines, airstrips, gravel mines, housing and industrial sprawl will forever comprise the arctic wildlife and the resources of the vast wetlands of the Tashekpuk Lake area. The final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS) will discuss alternatives for leasing north and east of Teshekpuk Lake. Proposed action is expected to occur in the Spring of this year, with a possible lease sale in the late summer or early fall of 2008.

In the northeast area, nearly 1.5 million acres have been allowed to be leased and in the northwest area, 2.3 million acres were leased. Audubon believes that the unique resources of this area deserve maximum protection that can only be obtained by prohibiting gas and oil development. You can gain more information on the quantities of bird and natural wildlife that will be affected by going to the Alaska Audubon website.

There are dense populations of caribou, grizzly bears, wolves, Peregrine Falcons, Gulls, Gyrfalcons, Golden Eagles and various Hawk species, as well as shore birds, Canadian Geese, Snow Geese, Pacific Black Brant and Greater White-fronted Geese needing protection.

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RRAS Information (702-390-9890) Red Rock Audubon Society, P.O. Box 96691, Las Vegas, NV 89193