Protect Alaskan Seafood!

To the Minerals Management Service and Interior Secretary Kenneth Salazar,

As a fan of Alaskan seafood, I am writing to comment on the Draft Proposed 2010-2015 Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Leasing Program.

I urge you to exclude Alaska's Bristol Bay, one of our nation's richest fishing grounds, from the 5-year plan. Bristol Bay and the rest of the Bering Sea, known as "America's fish basket", are the source of nearly half of all seafood caught in the United States. The economic value of these fisheries far surpasses the potential value of any oil and gas extraction, according to U.S. government data. One of the proposed lease sale areas overlaps with the bay's sockeye salmon, Pollock and red king crab fisheries, which help contribute more than $2 billion a year to the local economy and are enjoyed by seafood lovers all over the world.

In addition, 15 cetacean species, including the imperiled bowhead, blue, fin, sei, humpback and sperm whales, occur in Bristol Bay, a spectacularly rich area for marine life. One of the planned lease sale areas overlaps with critical habitat designated for the eastern North Pacific right whale, the most endangered whale population in the world. I would urge you to also consider permanently protecting Bristol Bay from development, in addition to removing it from the Leasing Program.

There are many strong reasons to stop and reassess energy development off the coast of Alaska. High winds and powerful seas, variable ice and cold temperatures challenge offshore technologies, and there is presently no proven method for oil spill cleanup in ice-laden waters. In addition, little is known about the population, distribution, and behavior of many species in these waters.

Alaska's marine and coastal regions constitute an unrivaled ocean legacy and are home to America's most important fisheries. We cannot afford to place them at risk. Thank you for the opportunity to comment on the 5-year plan.

To the Minerals Management Service and Interior Secretary Kenneth Salazar,

As a fan of Alaskan seafood, I am writing to comment on the Draft Proposed 2010-2015 Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Leasing Program.

I urge you to exclude Alaska's Bristol Bay, one of our nation's richest fishing grounds, from the 5-year plan. Bristol Bay and the rest of the Bering Sea, known as "America's fish basket", are the source of nearly half of all seafood caught in the United States. The economic value of these fisheries far surpasses the potential value of any oil and gas extraction, according to U.S. government data. One of the proposed lease sale areas overlaps with the bay's sockeye salmon, Pollock and red king crab fisheries, which help contribute more than $2 billion a year to the local economy and are enjoyed by seafood lovers all over the world.

In addition, 15 cetacean species, including the imperiled bowhead, blue, fin, sei, humpback and sperm whales, occur in Bristol Bay, a spectacularly rich area for marine life. One of the planned lease sale areas overlaps with critical habitat designated for the eastern North Pacific right whale, the most endangered whale population in the world. I would urge you to also consider permanently protecting Bristol Bay from development, in addition to removing it from the Leasing Program.

There are many strong reasons to stop and reassess energy development off the coast of Alaska. High winds and powerful seas, variable ice and cold temperatures challenge offshore technologies, and there is presently no proven method for oil spill cleanup in ice-laden waters. In addition, little is known about the population, distribution, and behavior of many species in these waters.

Alaska's marine and coastal regions constitute an unrivaled ocean legacy and are home to America's most important fisheries. We cannot afford to place them at risk. Thank you for the opportunity to comment on the 5-year plan.

As a fan of Alaskan seafood, I am writing to comment on the Draft Proposed 2010-2015 Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Leasing Program.

I urge you to exclude Alaska's Bristol Bay, one of our nation's richest fishing grounds, from the 5-year plan. Bristol Bay and the rest of the Bering Sea, known as "America's fish basket", are the source of nearly half of all seafood caught in the United States. The economic value of these fisheries far surpasses the potential value of any oil and gas extraction, according to U.S. government data. One of the proposed lease sale areas overlaps with the bay's sockeye salmon, Pollock and red king crab fisheries, which help contribute more than $2 billion a year to the local economy and are enjoyed by seafood lovers all over the world.

In addition, 15 cetacean species, including the imperiled bowhead, blue, fin, sei, humpback and sperm whales, occur in Bristol Bay, a spectacularly rich area for marine life. One of the planned lease sale areas overlaps with critical habitat designated for the eastern North Pacific right whale, the most endangered whale population in the world. I would urge you to also consider permanently protecting Bristol Bay from development, in addition to removing it from the Leasing Program.

There are many strong reasons to stop and reassess energy development off the coast of Alaska. High winds and powerful seas, variable ice and cold temperatures challenge offshore technologies, and there is presently no proven method for oil spill cleanup in ice-laden waters. In addition, little is known about the population, distribution, and behavior of many species in these waters.

Alaska's marine and coastal regions constitute an unrivaled ocean legacy and are home to America%u2019s most important fisheries. We cannot afford to place them at risk. Thank you for the opportunity to comment on the 5-year plan.