ANWR, NOW! Speak Out, Alaska.

• Position: Brief Article

It is difficult for many Alaskans to get a feel for the wealth and power Outside interest groups have to control Alaska's economic future.

With the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) back in the headlines and on the evening news again, we thought you might be interested in a letter we received written by Sen. Frank Murkowski.

(NBC-TV has done an objective piece with reporter Jim Avila here on the tundra and Arctic Power's Cam Toohey in Anchorage; and the week before Leslie Stahl of CBS' 60 Minutes did a fair job of letting the nation see the "beauty of frozen expanse.")

In excerpts from his letter the Senator wrote: "My recent experience in seeking Congressional support for opening a sliver of the Arctic coastal plain to energy exploration has renewed my belief that Alaskans must be more active in efforts to back responsible economic development in our state.

"Sadly, the future of our state is being molded by Outside interests who want to shape Alaska to conform to their vision--a vast wilderness where sensible, balanced resource development activities cannot be accommodated. This vision clashes with the desire of most Alaskans to build a diversified economy so we can put food on our tables, educate our children, and make Alaska a place where our children can reside and build a future.

"My major purpose in writing is to alert you to a new trend that threatens to further overwhelm Alaska's voice in the debates shaping our state. A year or two ago, there were about 60 environmental groups with offices in Alaska. Today, there are more than 90. Although the media often paints a picture of natural resource and big business groups in Alaska overwhelming the under-funded environmental groups, that clearly isn't the case today. Responsible development groups are the real underdogs in getting the 'balanced development' message out to Lower 48 residents and even Alaskans.

"Just one of the state's...