Open Letter from Native Alaskans to President Obama
Highlights need for balanced approach to energy development
ANCHORAGE, Alaska, Aug. 31, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Leaders of the Arctic Slope Regional Corporation have placed an open letter in State news outlets, welcoming President Obama to Alaska but also warning him of the critical need to strike a balance between responsible energy development and environmental stewardship, within the Arctic.
"As stewards of our Arctic homelands, we have a unique and very important interest in ensuring that any development activities in the Arctic are carried out in a safe and responsible manner," said Rex Rock Sr., ASRC President and CEO, and Crawford Patkotak, ASRC Chairman of the Board of Directors, in the letter. "We are also no strangers to oil and gas development. The industry has operated safely in our backyard for over four decades producing more than 15 billion barrels of oil from the North Slope in that time. With those barrels come jobs, security and opportunity."
"History has shown us that the responsible energy development which is the lifeblood of our economy can exist in tandem with, and significantly enhance, our traditional way of life. We want to partner with you to preserve and strengthen that relationship. It is important that your actions and those of your Administration, become greater aligned to provide more regulatory certainty in 2016 and beyond."
The open letter, written on behalf of ASRC's approximately 12,000 Iñupiat Eskimo shareholders, calls on President Obama to use his time in Alaska to replace the Administration's current policies with a more sustainable regime, that will allow sustainable development of resources alongside preservation of the Arctic environment.
The letter ran in the Anchorage Dispatch News and the Fairbanks Daily News on August 29 and 30, and follows a statewide ASRC advert television ad highlighting the key role that Arctic energy development plays in supporting native communities.
On Saturday August 29, President Obama released a video defending his decision to allow Shell Oil Company to drill in the Arctic Ocean. The president also emphasized the vital role that oil and gas plays in the American economy. The video was released ahead of the President's three day tour of Alaska.
For more on ASRC's activities, visit www.ASRC.com.
About ASRC
Arctic Slope Regional Corporation is owned by and represents the business interests of the Arctic Slope Iñupiat. Since opening enrollment in 1989 to Alaska Natives born after 1971, the corporation's shareholder base has nearly tripled, growing from the 3,700 original enrollees to around 12,000 today. Corporate headquarters are based in Barrow, Alaska, with administrative and subsidiary offices located in Anchorage and throughout the United States. ASRC, along with its family of companies, is the largest Alaskan-owned company, employing approximately 10,000 people worldwide. The company has six major business segments: petroleum refining and marketing, energy support services, industrial services, construction, government services and resource development.
SOURCE Arctic Slope Regional Corporation
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