The federal government wasted a lot of time and taxpayer dollars on oil and gas lease sale No. 258 in Cook Inlet held on Dec. 30. Just one company bid on a single 2,300-acre block after the federal government offered almost a million acres for leasing — gaining a grand total of $64,000.
The environmental analysis alone costs more than 10 times that amount.
Federal policy must adapt to modern reality. We must take aggressive measures to restore critically endangered Cook Inlet beluga whales, which have declined by more than 75%. We need to pivot to clean energy technologies, reduce our dependence on oil, and stop selling out public lands to the oil industry — including in Cook Inlet! The lack of industry interest alone ought to be enough for the federal government to leave Cook Inlet out of future offshore leasing schedules.
— Ragen Davey
Alaska Marine Representative, Defenders of Wildlife
Anchorage
Have something on your mind? Send to letters@adn.com or click here to submit via any web browser. Letters under 200 words have the best chance of being published. Writers should disclose any personal or professional connections with the subjects of their letters. Letters are edited for accuracy, clarity and length.