But in contrast to the Gwitch'in, the Inupiat on Alaska's North Slope and the coastal plain stand to gain economically from the leasing of this potentially rich land to the oil companies. Concerns such as these can easily heighten conflicts between those northern Natives who rely on hunting and fishing for much of their daily sustenance, and those who look to oil-generated wage employment as their most important means of economic livelihood. The active struggle of the Gwich'in in opposition to oil development on the Coastal Plain of the Refuge also promote strained relations with non-Native Alaskans who perceive their jobs and standard of living to be closely linked to the continued production of North Slope oil. Nor are frictions limited to the interplay of multinational oil companies, environmental oganizations, and indigenous peoples. Similar conflicts exist between various departments of the national, state, and local governments.
Similar strains exist between the federal and state governments.
While the federal government is a major owner of potential petroleum-producing property in Alaska, its revenue needs are only minimally tied to these lands. Thus, its perspective on oil extaction is more likely to address national energy levels, international trade, and foreign policy issues. For the state of Alaska, on the other hand, the revenue base is intimately related to oil. The Prudhoe Bay field, the largest single accumulation of oil ever discovered in North America, is located on lands owned by the state. Thus, given the present condition of the U.S. economy , it is not surprising that the issue of extracting oil from the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge has again become an arena of crucial debate within Congress and the United States at large.