Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne met with Alaska Native leaders on his first visit to the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.

After weather delayed his trip, Kempthorne traveled to the Inupiat village of Kaktovik, the only village in ANWR. Most of the residents support drilling in the refuge but they oppose off-shore development out of fear it will harm traditional whaling.

Arctic Slope Regional Corporation, an Inpuiat-owed regional corporation, owns subsurface rights to 92,000 acres in ANWR. The Kaktovik village corporation owns the surface rights on that land.

The Gwich'in Nation, whose Arctic Village is right outside ANWR, opposed drilling for fear it will harm the caribou herd that lives in ANWR. The Gwich'in culture revolves around the caribou.

Congressional approval is required to develop ANWR.

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Interior Chief Kempthorne Tours Arctic Wildlife Refuge (AP 9/1)
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Relevant Links:
Arctic Slope Regional Corp - http://www.asrc.com
Gwic'hin Steering Committee - http://www.alaska.net/~gwichin
Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, U.S. Fish and Willdife Service - http://arctic.fws.gov
The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, Pro-Development site - http://www.anwr.org

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