PEW ENVIRONMENT GROUP

September 25, 2012 The Honorable Ken Salazar Secretary of the Interior U.S. Department of the Interior 1849 C Street, NW Washington, DC 20240

Dear Mr. Secretary: More than 30 years ago, Congress expressly recognized the National Petroleum Reserve Alaska (NPRA) as having exceptional natural, fish, wildlife, scenic, cultural, and historical values that warrant protection. Congress provided you, as Secretary of the Interior, broad authority to balance resource development activities with "maximum protection" of special areas in the NPRA. We write today to commend your leadership as the Department of the Interior works to finalize the first-ever comprehensive management plan for the NPRA. The recently announced B-2 preferred alternative truly fulfills the unique dual mandate of the Naval Petroleum Reserve Production Act to protect vital habitats and subsistence uses while allowing for responsible energy development. The B-2 preferred alternative allows industry to bring energy to market from this remote location while protecting wildlife and subsistence resources so vital to Alaska Native communities. Moreover, there is overwhelming public support for this alternative as reflected by the over 400,000 comments and 30 community resolutions submitted during the planning process. We wish to convey our sincere appreciation for the hard work you and your staff have put into creating a balanced management plan for the NPRA. We look forward to working with the Department to finalize the Integrated Activity Plan and to apply these same principles of science-based planning to the sensitive Arctic marine environment. Sincerely, cc: Deputy Secretary, David Hayes Acting BLM Director, Mike Pool Alaska BLM Director, Bud Cribley Senior Advisor for Alaska, Kim Elton Special Assistant, Pat Pourchot

Marilyn Heiman Director, U.S. Arctic Program Pew Charitable Trusts

Ken Rait Director, Western Lands Initiative Pew Charitable Trusts