October 3, 2016 — These are the days when a president turns to thoughts of legacy.
As the months tick down on this administration, President Barack Obama has created a marine national monument off New England and last month vastly expanded one near Hawaii.
Alaska interest groups are working to get his attention, too.
Some want him to take bold action in the 49th State before he leaves office, and others are urging him to resist those calls.
A TV ad ran in Washington, D.C., this month that flashed footage of oil tankers bathed in the golden light of a Valdez sunset, an offshore drill rig and Alaska Natives on the tundra.
Its call to action: “Tell the White House to keep the Arctic in the next off shore leasing program. It’s the right thing for Alaska. It’s the right for our nation.”
That’s part of a six-figure ad campaign by a coalition that includes the Alaska Oil and Gas Association, Arctic Slope Regional Corporation, unions and the Independent Petroleum Association of America.
They took out a full page ad in the Washington Post, too.
Meanwhile, environmental groups are working just as hard to make sure Obama knows how much they want the Arctic ocean tracts removed from the off-shore leasing plan, due out this fall.
That’s one way the president might choose to leave his mark on the 49th state.
Or he could do something really dramatic, like use his powers under the Antiquities Act to declare a national monument in Alaska, or off its shores.
Sen. Lisa Murkowski dreads a White House announcement like that, which she believes would diminish Alaska’s opportunities.
“We’ve seen some indication that he doesn’t plan on any ocean protection designation,” she said. “But until we’re on the last day of the administration, I’m not going to rest and believe that’s the case.”