FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
AUGUST 17, 2020

OLYMPIA – Congressman Denny Heck (WA-10) released the following statement in response to today’s announcement that the Trump administration approved an oil leasing plan for the coastal plain of Alaska’s Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR):

“Protecting our natural lands and combating the existential threat of climate change are practical and moral imperatives. Opening the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to development and fossil fuel production undermines both.

“Last year I cosponsored the Arctic Cultural and Coastal Plain Protection Act, which would prohibit oil and gas leasing, development, production, and transportation in ANWR’s coastal plain. This crucial legislation passed the House in September. Unfortunately, it has not been taken up by the Senate.

“The President and his administration should be protecting our natural lands, not auctioning them off to the highest bidder. In addition, we should be pursuing policies that reduce our dependence on fossil fuels. I oppose this reckless move by the administration, and I will continue working to protect our natural lands and to address the threats of climate change. I urge my colleagues to join me in this ongoing effort.”

Congressman Heck serves on the House Financial Services Committee, the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, and the Joint Economic Committee. He co-chairs the Congressional Puget Sound Recovery Caucus, and has fought for the restoration of Puget Sound and the preservation of natural lands throughout the Pacific Northwest.

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