OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: March 22, 1999

Stephanie Hanna (O) 202/208-6416

SECRETARY BABBITT TAKES EXXON VALDEZ ANNIVERSARY TO CALL FOR WILDERNESS PROTECTION IN ARCTIC WILDLIFE REFUGE CALVING AREA

Secretary of the Interior Bruce Babbitt will mark the 10-year anniversary of the catastrophic oil spill in Prince William Sound, Alaska, caused by the grounding of the Exxon Valdez, by supporting federal wilderness designation for the coastal plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.

To bring that about, Babbitt will endorse legislation introduced tomorrow by Congresssman Bruce Vento (D-MN) at a press conference in Room 2220 of the Rayburn House Office Building at 2:30 p.m. In addition to Secretary Babbitt and Congressman Vento, Congressman David Bonior (D-MI), Congressman Michael Forbes (R-NY) and Bill Meadows, President of the Wilderness Society, will speak in support of the bill, which already has more than 100 cosponsors.

"In each Congress since the 1980's, the coastal plain of the Arctic Refuge has come under constant legislative threat by oil and gas development advocates," Secretary Babbitt said. "The only sure way to protect this magnificent caribou calving ground forever is to designate it wilderness, like much of the rest of the Refuge. We cannot allow the kind of devastation caused by the Exxon Valdez oil spill on March 24, 1989, to occur on or near the coastal plain. Enacting Congressman Vento's bill will put an end to this threat to the most biologically important part of the Arctic Refuge once and for all."

WHO: Interior Secretary Bruce Babbitt, Congressmen Bruce Vento, David Bonior, Michael Forbes and Bill Meadows, President of the Wilderness Society.

WHERE: Rayburn House Office Building, Room 2220

WHEN: Tuesday, March 23, 2:30 p.m. EDT.

WHY: Environmental damage to the fragile arctic ecosystem still remains 10 years after the Exxon Valdez oil spill. The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge needs wilderness protection to protect caribou calving areas and vital habitat for tens of thousands of migrating wildlife species.

-DOI-

The Alaska Wilderness League will provide television satellite uplinks of the event and B-roll on March 23 and 24. For information on satellite coordinates, please contact Michael Carroll at 202/544-5205.

U.S. Department of the Interior