Recently announced plans for the development of the Alpine oil field bring a production pipeline and other facilities to within ten miles of the northeast portion of NPR-A, making this area more attractive to industry for oil exploration. However, an area around Teshekpuk Lake is rich in waterfowl, seabirds and wildlife. It would be inappropriate to consider leasing without examining the need to protect other resources. This planning effort will serve both objectives. The NPR-A is about 23 million acres in size and includes several different regions and a wide range of resources.
Access is difficult to many locations.
Planning for the entire area at once would take much more time and effort.