Alaska oilfield support via advocacy: 'efforts are broad and far reaching'.

• Author: Anderson, Tom
• Position: OIL & GAS

When it comes to commerce in Alaska, it doesn't get any larger than oil and gas sector development.

In concert, billions of dollars in expenses, thousands of employees, and myriad infrastructure equate to a thriving industry comprising a huge chunk of Alaska's state and municipal budgets. Oil and gas are the lifeblood of the state's economy.

Outside of each petroleum company's communications and public affairs division, a collective of trade association advocacies carry the information torch to the public and policymakers. These nonprofit organizations operate because of the resource development industry's financial support and member contributions.

Absent these few and effective associations, the engines of exploration, extraction, and delivery may not churn quite as easy. Undoubtedly, if it weren't for such advocacies the public would likely not understand the critical importance of development, and legislative support could be compromised.

Alaska Support Industry Alliance

The mission of the Alaska Support Industry Alliance is to "promote responsible exploration, development, and production of oil, gas, and mineral resources for the benefit of all Alaskans."

Executive Director Rebecca Logan and her board of directors accomplish the advocacy's mission through a strong government relations program at both the state and federal level. The organization also implements educational campaigns meant to improve public awareness of the relationship between political decisions, industry activity, and Alaska's economic health.

"We actively participate in each legislative session in Juneau--monitoring any activity that pertains to the oil, gas, and mining industries," says Logan. "We frequently support or oppose bills based on their impact on the resource industries and the support industry. We also have an Independent Expenditure 'We Are Alaska' that we utilize in elections--either supporting or opposing candidates, or supporting or opposing ballot measures," she adds.

At the federal level, the Alliance focuses its efforts on educating the agencies that have oversight of Alaska's resource development like the Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of the Interior. Logan, her directors, and members of the organization intermittently spend time with congressional members from states that benefit from active resource development in Alaska. One example is Rhode Island, where an Alliance contractor spends nearly $1 million annually to purchase...