Buffalo Environmental Law Journal Volume 9 Number 2 Article 3 4-1-2002 ANWR: The Legislative Quagmire Surrounding Stakeholder Control and Protection, and the Practical Consequences of Allowing Exploration Kristofer Pasquale University of Idaho College of Law (Student) Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.law.buffalo.edu/belj Part of the Legislation Commons, and the Natural Resources Law Commons Recommended Citation Kristofer Pasquale, ANWR: The Legislative Quagmire Surrounding Stakeholder Control and Protection, and the Practical Consequences of Allowing Exploration, 9 Buff. Envtl. L.J. 245 (2002). Available at: https://digitalcommons.law.buffalo.edu/belj/vol9/iss2/3 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Law Journals at Digital Commons @ University at Buffalo School of Law. It has been accepted for inclusion in Buffalo Environmental Law Journal by an authorized editor of Digital Commons @ University at Buffalo School of Law. For more information, please contact
[email protected]. ANWR: THE LEGISLATIVE QUAGMIRE SURROUNDING STAKEHOLDER CONTROL AND PROTECTION, AND THE PRACTICAL CONSEQUENCES OF ALLOWING EXPLORATION Kristofer Pasquale* Introduction Along the freezing northern region of Alaska's coast lies approximately twenty million acres of land known as the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, or better known by its acronym, ANWR. For the last thirty years, battles have raged between the state and the federal government, between environmentalists and oil companies, and between a variety of other stakeholders for control over the future of development of ANWR for oil exploration and production.' The ongoing, contentious debate on whether to explore and drill for oil in ANWR is at the forefront of national policy, concerning environ- mentalists and peaking oil industry interest still today.2 This comment explores the legislative history behind what has become ANWR, identifies possible stakeholders in the question of how ANWR should be treated, and analyzes the effect that exploration would have upon them.