1991-16 Opposing Oil and Gas Leasing in the Cook Inlet Planning Area.Introduced by:
Requested by:
Drafted by:
Introduced:
Adopted:
KODIAK ISLAND BOROUGH
RESOLUTION NO. 91-16
A RESOLUTION OPPOSING OIL AND GAS LEASING
IN THE COOK INLET PLANNING AREA
Mayor Selby
KIB Assembly
CDD Director
04/18/91
04/18/91
WHEREAS, the Minerals Management Service (MMS) of the United States Department
of Interior has released the draft proposed 5—year comprehensive OCS
natural gas and oil resource management plan; and
WHEREAS, representatives of the MMS presented the draft proposed 5—year program
to the Kodiak Island Borough Planning and Zoning Commission at their
work session on March 27, 1991, and to the Kodiak Island Borough
Assembly at the work session on March 28, 1991; and
WHEREAS, the draft proposed 5—year program includes consideration of leasing in the
Cook Inlet Planning Area in 1994; and
WHEREAS, the Cook Inlet Planning Area extends from federal waters in Cook Inlet
along the entire length of Shelikof Strait; and
WHEREAS, the two areas in the Cook Inlet Planning Area considered for leasing in
1994 include Cook Inlet and Northern Shelikof Strait; and
WHEREAS, the first federal oil and gas lease sale was held in Cook Inlet on October 27,
1977, only after litigation over jurisdictional issues and the adequacy of EIS
was settled; and
WHEREAS, of the 135 tracts offered for sale, bids were received for only 91 tracts, with
only 87 of the bids being accepted; and
WHEREAS, Lease Sale (LS) 60 was held on September 29, 1981, after objections were
raised by the Borough over the inclusion of Shelikof Strait tracts in the sale
(Resolution No. 79-9—R); and
WHEREAS, of the 153 LS 60 tracts offered for sale, only 13 tracts received bids; nine
in Shelikof Strait and four off of Anchor Point in Cook Inlet; and
Kodiak Island Borough, Alaska Resolution No. 91-16
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WHEREAS, in July of 1982, LS RS -2 was held, re -offering for sale all of the tracts not
previously sold at LS 60; no bids were received for any of the tracts; and
WHEREAS, on November 14, 1985, a drilling rig moved on to one of the Shelikof Strait
tracts, and drilling operations commenced on behalf of Chevron on
November 21, 1985; and
WHEREAS, Chevron announced no commercial find, and as of January 15, 1986, there
were no active leases remaining in Shelikof Strait from LS 60; and
WHEREAS, LS 88 was scheduled for sale in October 1984, but the proposed notice of
sale was issued with a scheduled sale date of December 1984; and
WHEREAS, the Kodiak Island Borough responded to LS 88 with Resolution No. 84-18-
R supporting sale alternatives that included the deferral of both Shelikof
Strait and wildlife buffer tracts; and
WHEREAS, ultimately an announcement was made on May 2, 1986, canceling LS 88
citing 'low current industry interest and a lack of commercial discovery
announcements" in the planning area as the basis for the decision; and
WHEREAS, LS 114 was progressing through the lease sale process when the Exxon
Valdez oil spill occurred; and
WHEREAS, the Kodiak Island Borough responded to LS 114 with the passage of
Resolution 89-28-R requesting the delay of the sale until the long term
impacts of the oil spill could be assessed; and
WHEREAS, on May 17, 1989, it was announced that LS 114 would be delayed
indefinitely until assessment of the Exxon Valdez oil spill could be
completed; and
WHEREAS, the history of federal OCS oil and gas leasing in the area, now identified by
the MMS as the Cook Inlet Planning Area, shows a decreasing interest by
the oil industry; and
WHEREAS, the same area has become increasingly important to regional and statewide
fishing interests; and
WHEREAS, based on the work session of March 27, 1991, the Planning and Zoning
Commission has recommended that the Kodiak Island Borough Assembly
request that leasing in the Cook Inlet Planning Area be removed from the
draft proposed 5 -year program; and
Kodiak Island Borough, Alaska Resolution No. 91-16
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WHEREAS, for the past twelve years the Kodiak Island Borough has opposed oil and
gas exploration in Shelikof Strait.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE ASSEMBLY OF THE KODIAK
ISLAND BOROUGH THAT:
The MMS delete consideration of leasing in the Cook Inlet Planning Area
from the draft proposed 5 -year comprehensive OCS natural gas and oil resource
management program, since the fisheries and habitat resource values of the area
continue to be very high and the projected oil and gas resources in the area continue to
be very low.
PASSED AND APPROVED THIS 18th DAY OF APRIL, 1991.
KODIAK ISLAND BOROUGH
BoroLW h Mayor
Pre'iding Officer I
\_ J
ATTEST:
Kodiak Island Borough, Alaska Resolution No. 91-16
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Borouo
Clerk
Kodiak Island Borough, Alaska Resolution No. 91-16
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