(JUNEAU) - Rep. Vic Kohring, Chairman of the Legislature’s Oil & Gas Committee, expressed optimism that oil and gas development in the Coastal Plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge will become a reality, following Wednesday’s vote in the U.S. Senate.

"I congratulate the U.S. Senate for their courageous vote, and for beating back the anti-development, pro environmentalist forces," said Kohring. "For the Senate to recognize the importance of developing ANWR was a victory not only for Alaska, but the nation," he said.

Kohring added that the fight to open the Coastal Plain is far from over, however this week’s vote was a major step forward. "We must stay vigilant and keep working hard to educate America on the importance, in terms of energy independency, of developing this region," Kohring noted.

Kohring specifically thanked Senator’s Stevens and Murkowski for their leadership on the issue. "They’ve done a great job advocating for Alaska," he said.

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