Date: June 15, 2011 Creator: Corn, M. Lynne Description: 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. Contributing Partner:
UNT Libraries Government Documents Department