Juneau -- Friday, the Alaska Senate passed legislation encouraging the United States Congress to open Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to oil production. Senate Joint Resolution 39, sponsored by the Senate Rules Committee, supports U.S. Senate Bill 2214, which would allow the exploration and development of ANWR.

U.S. oil production has fallen by 17 percent while our consumption of oil has risen by 14 percent in that period of time. As a country, we import 56 percent of the oil that we use. "The present state of both oil and gasoline prices in the United States is a direct result of our dependence upon foreign supplies of oil and other petroleum products," said Senator Drue Pearce (R-Anchorage), a supporter of SJR 39. "This dependence on foreign oil is the result of America's failure to develop a long term energy policy that includes both the promotion of alternative fuels, as well as the development of promising domestic oil producing regions."

Industry and government experts recognize the Coastal Plain of ANWR as the single most promising unexplored region in the U.S. for a major oil and gas discovery. In 1998, the U.S. Geological Survey estimated that the Coastal Plain could contain the same volume of recoverable oil as Prudhoe Bay. By exploring this area in the winter, responsible developers would not cause any degradation to the fragile Arctic ecosystem.

"SJR 39 supports the efforts of our Congressional delegation to develop a long-term energy policy for America, which includes opening access to promising areas, like ANWR in an effort to increase domestic oil and gas production," said Pearce. "Only then will America lessen the grip that foreign oil producing nations have on our economy and consumers."

SJR 39 moves to the House for consideration.

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= Drue Pearce, 90 K