Sponsor Statement For SJR 9

SJR 9 encourages the United States Congress to pass legislation for oil and gas exploration, development, and production on the coastal plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.

SJR 9 urges the United States Congress to pass legislation allowing access to the estimated 10,000,000,000 barrels of recoverable oil on the coastal plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR). This resolution is supported by the local residents of the coastal plane of the North Slope Borough and by a majority of Alaskans.

Development of the oil and gas resources in ANWR will help to offset declining oil revenues in Alaska and decreasing energy production nationwide. Considering that demand for crude oil rose in the United States by 2.5 percent in the past year, and that domestic production of oil continues to decline while import prices increase, the successful development of the resources in this region is of the utmost importance to all Americans.

Furthermore, the authors of this resolution express their resolve to conduct all oil and gas activities to the benefit of the state's work force and in a manner sensitive to the environment of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Copies of this resolution will be sent to the Honorable President of the United States, Vice-President, Secretary of the Interior, and all current members of Congress.