[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 8 (Wednesday, January 14, 2009)]
[Senate]
[Page S389]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. LIEBERMAN (for himself, Mrs. Murray, Ms. Stabenow, Mr. 
        Whitehouse, Mr. Leahy, Mr. Cardin, Mr. Schumer, Mr. Kohl, Mr. 
        Feingold, Mr. Kennedy, Mr. Durbin, Mr. Dodd, Mrs. Boxer, Ms. 
        Cantwell, Mr. Wyden, Mr. Reed, Mrs. Feinstein, Mr. Sanders, Mr. 
        Udall, of New Mexico, Mr. Udall, of Colorado, Mr. Harkin, Mr. 
        Lautenberg, Mr. Kerry, Ms. Klobuchar, and Mr. Menendez):
  S. 231. A bill to designate a portion of the Arctic National Wildlife 
Refuge as wilderness; to the Committee on Environment and Public Works.
  Mr. LIEBERMAN. Mr. President, this morning we introduced legislation 
to protect the coastal plains region of the Arctic National Wildlife 
Refuge from the threat of oil and gas exploration. S. 231 designates 
1.5 million acres of the Refuge as Wilderness to be included in the 
National Wilderness Preservation System. Bestowing Wilderness 
designation on this precious piece of national heritage will reaffirm 
the original intent of the Refuge: to provide habitat for Alaska's 
wildlife.
  As designated Wilderness, that land will become subject to specific 
management restrictions. Human activities will be restricted to non-
motorized recreation, scientific research, and other non-invasive 
activities. Logging, mining, road building, mechanized vehicles, and 
other forms of development are generally prohibited in designated 
Wilderness areas. However, since these particular lands are in Alaska, 
some public motorized uses will be permitted for subsistence and 
traditional use. For example, subsistence hunting as well as limited 
backpacking and hiking will be allowed.
  The Arctic Refuge is home to 250 species of wildlife. Drilling there 
would severely harm its abundant populations of polar bears, caribou, 
musk oxen, and snow geese, and the amount of commercially recoverable 
oil in the Refuge would satisfy only a very small percentage of our 
nation's need at any given time.
  The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge is a pristine natural treasure 
that must be preserved for future generations. We do not have to choose 
between conservation and exploration when it comes to our energy 
future; we can do both simultaneously while moving toward a sustainable 
and diverse national energy policy.
  I look forward to working with my colleagues to pass this important 
legislation.
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