Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR): A Primer for the 112th Congress

• Main Authors: Corn, M. Lynne, Ratner, Michael, Alexander, Kristina
• Format: Report
• Language: English
• Published: Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service. 2011
• Subjects: Wildlife refuges; Public lands; Biological diversity conservation; Natural resources; Conservation of natural resources; Arctic; Alaska
• Online Access: https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc86658/

In the ongoing energy debate in Congress, one issue has been whether to approve energy development in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR or Refuge) in northeastern Alaska or whether to continue to prohibit development to protect the area's biological, recreational, and subsistence values. ANWR is rich in fauna, flora, and oil and natural gas potential. Its development has been debated for more than 50 years, but sharp increases in energy prices from late 2000 to early 2001, in 2004-2008, and in 2011 from a variety of causes (e.g., terrorist attacks, oil spills, and energy infrastructure damage from hurricanes), have repeatedly intensified the debate. This primer provides background for analyzing the various claims through an examination of its history, and an analysis of its geological, biological, human, and economic resources.