It seems that Congressman John Boehner, House Minority Leader and representative for the 8th Congressional District of Ohio, is skeptical. As part of a project dubbed the “American Energy Tour,” Rep. Boehner along with Reps. Michelle Bachmann (R-MN), Gus Bilirakis (R-FL), Mary Fallin (R-OK), Dean Heller (R-NV), Jim Jordan (R-OH), Doug Lamborn (R-CO), Robert Latta (R-OH), Kevin McCarthy (R-CA), Steve Scalise (R-LA), and Adrian Smith (R-NE) will visit the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory in Golden, Colorado and an unspecified North Slope location in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) in late July, 2008.
However Rep. Boehner has low expectations for the visit to ANWR. In an interview with FOX, the congressman was reported as saying: “We’re going to look at this barren, Arctic desert where I’m hoping to see some wildlife,” Boehner said. “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.”
As there has been so much documented and written regarding the level and diversity of wildlife in ANWR it is suprising that the honorable member would hold such an opinion. However as Minority Leader, he is no doubt a busy man, as most certainly are the other representatives accompanying him on this trip. Thus it might be of value to him to consult in advance of the trip a few items easily accessible via the Internet regarding the thirty-six species of land mammals, nine species of marine mammals, or more than one hundred sixty migratory and resident bird species to be found at various times of the year in ANWR.
According to Dr. Steve Zack, PhD. of the Wildlife Conservation Society, ANWR is anything but devoid of life. While there are no doubt areas that might be found with little readily apparent wildlife (as well there might be in the congressman’s very own home district in Ohio), the ducks and shorebirds, not to mention land mammals such as caribou, should be present in their appropriate habitat areas and discoverable by those properly guided and wishing to see them.
I know that in my own natural history interpretation work, I have taken many people who were once ambivalent or even skeptical about the value of preserving nature out into the field and had the joy of watching their eyes open onto an entirely new perspective of the natural world with something as simple as the view of a Wood Duck through a spotting scope. It is devoutly to be hoped that the guide leading Congressman Boehner and his fellow representatives on this trip will also have the pleasure of witnessing a former skeptic transformed through an encounter with the wildlife of ANWR.
Peace and good bird watching.
(Many thanks to Ken of Rosyfinch Ramblings for tipping Born Again Bird Watcher through BIRDCHAT to Representative Boehner’s trip.)
