[bestclimb]

I have been in ANWR hunting caribou. Dropped two, they make fine sausage. The area is quite striking. Anyway to get their you have to fly from the road system way over there. Along the way before we got to anwr we saw a couple drilling rigs, a few exploratory platforms and what not. I Saw more caribou near old and current drilling sites than once we got into the refuge. Old drilling sites by the way are a slightly raised square patch of tundra with a metal "Christmas tree" sticking out of it. From 500 feet AGL you have to know what your looking for and be looking in the right spot to even see it. On our hunting trip we took a drive up to Deadhorse for some supplies and to see the sights. Lots of caribou and musk ox on the drive up, some near, some far from drilling activity. The two uses are not mutually exclusive.

Currently the AK pipeline is running well below capacity, and that is causing a few issues. Developing ANWR would get a bit more utilization out of the pipe which means fewer issues. It would also give Alaska a bit more time widen it's economic base (which is already beginning)