This weekend, a delegation from the US House of Representatives will be making a brief trip to Alaska, including the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.  The eleven-person team is led by Ohio's Rep. John Boehner and also includes Reps. Bob Latta of Bowling Green and Jim Jordan of Urbana, while the other eight representatives are from eight other states, so the group has a very strong Ohio contingent.  

Birders who hear about this trip are likely to respond with envy -- thinking about all the amazing species that the congresspersons will see, the abundance of nesting sandpipers, plovers, phalaropes, jaegers, Arctic Terns, Snowy Owls, Long-tailed Ducks, Steller's Eiders, Spectacled Eiders, and so many other beautiful birds.  We might quibble about the timing of the trip -- after all, some of the Arctic-breeding shorebirds have already started to migrate south, with Pectoral Sandpipers and others already appearing in Ohio on their way to South America -- but still, most of us would jump at the chance to go along.  I've been to the North Slope about a dozen times as a leader of birding tours, and it was always an amazing experience.  

Unfortunately, our Ohio congressmen may not get the full benefit of the birding experience, because they seem to be going with a negative mindset.  In a July 15 press conference, Rep. Boehner said, "We're going to look at this barren, Arctic desert where I'm hoping to see some wildlife.  But I understand there's none there.  But I'm still going to look for it.  If I find any, I'll let you know."  Likewise, Rep. Latta was quoted by the Toledo Blade as saying that he believes the refuge is not as "picturesque" as some may envision -- that it's "not what they see on the news.  We're talking about tundra."  Of course, picturesque or not, coastal tundra is among the richest wildlife habitats imaginable during the brief Arctic summer.  But at least some members of the congressional delegation seem to be going with the intention of proving that the wildlife refuge is not worth protecting.  

WIthout going into the pros and cons of drilling for oil in the Arctic Refuge -- the Department of Energy estimates that it could save us as much as four cents per gallon on gas, starting as early as 2018 -- I want to focus on the misconception that there's anything "barren" about Arctic tundra.  The truth is that the Arctic Refuge supports huge numbers of migratory birds, including many of the birds that we enjoy here in Ohio.  I've put together some perspectives on this issue at  http://www.kknature.com/CurrentTopics.html

Feel free to pass this link along to anyone whom you think might benefit from it.

Kenn Kaufman
Oak Harbor, Ohio

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