Will U.S. Run Amuck on Teshekpuk?

Even after all the troubles with the BP pipeline in Alaska this past month, the Bush administration is not slowing down its drill, drill, drill mentality when it comes to the Arctic’s wild lands.

Up next on the chopping block? Teshekpuk Lake, home to at least 45,000 caribou and countless species of migratory birds. Starting Sept. 27, the Bureau of Land Management is planning on leasing out land surrounding the Arctic’s largest lake for oil and gas development.

The area, which is part of the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska (NPR-A), consists of 400,000 acres of coastal lagoons, wet sedge grass meadows and river deltas. It was protected as the Teshekpuk Lake Special Area in 1977–meaning that it would be safe from any future development.

This all changed when the Bush administration–our favorite friend to the environment–decided it was time to remove all those pesky protections.

Even after 80 senators and representatives pled to delay the lease sales of “T-Lake” (as it is commonly called), the Administration is still forging ahead with its plans to destroy one of Alaska’s most diverse wild lands, not to mention a culturally important area for the native peoples of the region.

Put a stop to these lease sales. Urge Secretary of the Interior Dirk Kempthorne and J.J. Mulva of ConocoPhillips that T-Lake is too special a place to lease for drilling!