Overview:

In 2004, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Doyon Limited agreed in principal to the terms of a proposed land exchange within the Yukon Flats National Wildlife Refuge. The proposed exchange would give Doyon title to some Refuge lands with oil and gas potential. In exchange, the Service would receive quality fish and wildlife habitat from Doyon “inholdings” within the exterior boundaries of refuge.

The Service is preparing an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to address the potential environmental, cultural and socio-economic impacts that could result from the proposed land exchange. The EIS process will help the Service decide whether or not to proceed with an exchange. As part of the process, the Service is inviting the public to provide input. The initial opportunity for public comment is during the scoping process, which closes Saturday, April 15, 2006.

Under the Agreement in Principle, Doyon would receive 110,000 acres (surface and subsurface) that may have developable oil and gas resources (core lands). Doyon would receive 97,000 acres of subsurface oil and gas interests (halo lands) that surround the core lands. No surface occupancy would be allowed on these halo lands. The Service would receive an “equal value” amount of land (estimated at 150,000 acres) with quality fish and wildlife habitats. Doyon would reallocate its remaining ANCSA 12(b) selections or lands outside refuge boundaries. Both parties would exchange additional lands to consolidate ownerships. If Doyon discovers oil and gas resources on lands acquired through the exchange, the Service would receive production payments. These funds could be used throughout Alaska to fund construction of needed refuge facilities and for land protection purposes. Doyon would also sell more of its land holdings in the Refuge (up to 120,000 acres) to the Service.

Last spring many RDC members submitted comments on the proposed exchange during a pre-scoping period. Your input is especially important now as the formal EIS process gets underway.

Action Requested: 

1. Attend a public open house to learn more about the proposed exchange:

2. Submit written comments (by letter, internet or voicemail) in support of the Agreement in Principle for the Yukon Flats Land Exchange before April 15, 2006 to:

Internet: http://yukonflatseis.ensr.com

Voicemail: Toll-free 1-888-222-1802 (Leave a recorded comment)

Points to consider in your letter:

• The proposed Agreement in Principle Alternative for the Yukon Flats Land Exchange is in the public’s best interest as it would allow the Service to achieve its conservation goals and consolidate land ownership. It would also result in a net gain of quality fish and wildlife habitat. Should commercial quantities of oil and gas be discovered, local communities, the State of Alaska and the nation would benefit.
• The Yukon Flats could hold large quantities of natural gas and significant volumes of oil. The U.S. Geological Survey offers a mean estimate of 5.5 trillion cubic feet of recoverable natural gas and as much as 592 million barrels of oil.
• The land exchange would allow Doyon to consolidate its holdings within the refuge so it can improve the economics of drilling for oil and gas. The entire flats show favorable signs of oil and gas, but the highest petroleum potential lies under land proposed for exchange and adjacent Doyon lands.
• If oil and gas are discovered in the refuge, many public benefits would be generated, including additional revenues to the State and new energy supplies for both Alaska and Lower 48 markets.
• The addition of substantial quantities of natural gas to Fairbanks and potentially Anchorage will help spur new local economic development and provide Interior Alaska residents with an alternative fuel choice not widely available today.
• The exchange would trigger exploration, leading to new business opportunities for Alaska companies.
• The land exchange and subsequent discovery of energy resources would allow for the creation of a long-term economic base in an economically-disadvantaged part of rural Alaska. It would help fulfill ANCSA’s promise to enhance social and economic well-being of Native people, creating jobs and other opportunities for local Doyon shareholders.
• A successful Yukon Flats project would not only create a rural economy, it would give rural residents the option of working close to home and to maintain a traditional lifestyle.
• No material harm to traditional subsistence activities would occur from the exchange and subsequent exploration and development. The oil and gas industry in Alaska is one of the most highly regulated in the world. In addition, Doyon has its own subsistence and reclamation standards designed to ensure protection of locally-valued resources. Local access to traditional activities on lands traded to the government would be preserved under the Agreement in Principle.
• The land exchange does not include the biological heart of the refuge. The exchange area would take up less than 3% of the 9 million-acre refuge.
• Should commercial quantities of oil and gas be discovered, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service would receive production payments generated from Doyon’s production. These funds could be used to buy additional acres of quality fish and wildlife habitat within the borders of the Yukon Flats refuge and elsewhere in Alaska. Funds could also be used to build needed infrastructure in Alaska, including a range of projects to enhance public use of refuge lands.