96th Congress - Report No. 20 - July 25, 1980 - Alaska Debate Begins

Sep 29, 2026

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Report No. 20 of the 96th Congress dated July 25, 1980 describes Senate debate beginning after the two-week recess, focused on the Alaska lands bill and related conservation amendments. It outlines positions from key senators, including arguments about adding acreage to federal systems, economic impacts, subsistence and federal-state cooperation, and concerns over oil, gas, wildlife, and water-right provisions. The report also covers the kickoff of debate on the wildlife refuge amendment and procedural expectations for subsequent amendments.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages7

Reading Time18 min

AccessFree to download

Alaska Debate Begins

Senate procedural context and conservation vote

Opening statements and committee positions

Competing arguments: economy, protection, and resource development

Wildlife refuge amendment debate begins

96th Congress Report No.20 July 25,1980 2nd Session As this issue went to press Thursday morning,the full Senate hadsuspended debate on Alaska lands legislation. The seven principal Senators(Jackson,Gravel,Stevens,Tsongas,Roth,Cranston and Hart)were meeting tohold further discussion on remaining 1ssues.Conservationists have won four"test votes"by 2-1 margins including a motion to table the wild1ife refugeamendment to H.R.39. (See following story for details.) ## Alaska Debate Begins The Senate returned fromits two week recess July 21 and plunged into deliberation ofwhat has been termed "the conservation vote of the century":the Alaska lands bil1. Monday was devoted to opening statements from the two sides.First,Senatorssupporting the version of H.R.39 reported 17-1 by the Energy and Natural ResourcesCommittee spoke,followed by speeches from those favoring passage of the package of fivestrengthening amendments offered by Sen.Paul Tsongas(Mass.).(See Report No.15,p.1.) According to Sen.Henry Jackson(Wash.),chafrman of the committee that H.R.39substantially revised the House-passed language of H.R.39 the bi1l which emerged from 58markup sessions is neither "unacceptably weak"nor "unbalanced."The committee versionwould add 43million acres to the National Park System,42.5 millon acres to the NationalW11d1ife Refuge System,38.3 mi1lion acres to the Wilderness Preservation System,11m11lion acres to the National Forest System,and 24 wild and scenic rivers,and addresssuch policy issues as subsistence hunting,acces,federal-state cooperation,nativeclaims,and North Slope energy. Sen.Mike Gravel(Alaska)called the Alaska vote "the economic turning point for oursociety,the time the USA decided not to continue its role as a superpower."He claimedthat Alaskais already "saved"by the Clean Air Act,Clean Water Act,and other pieces ofenvironmental 1egislation.At the end of his three hour-plus statement,Gravel castigatedhis Senate colleagues for not being present on the floor during deliberation on this "veryserious issue." Sen.Ted Stevens(Alaska)claimed that accepting the Tsongas amendments would hurtthe Alaska economy and 11festyle,especlally hunting,mineral and energy extraction,and1ogging."Acreage is not the major issue,"stated Oregon's Sen.Mark Hatfield,"1andclassification,access,and energy exploration are." Sen.Wi11iam Roth(Del.),a co-sponsor of the substitute bill to the Energy Com-mittee's version which will be considered after the amendments,led off for theconservationists.He said that the amendments sought to "identify and protect for futuregenerations of Americans Alaskan areas of richest wild1ife value,greatest scenicsplendor,and most ecological value." He reminded his fellow Senators that largetransfers of federally-owned 1and had already been made to the state of Alaska and Alaskanatives. "T1me is not kind to missed opportunities for conervation.In most states,we arenow engaged in enormously expensive salvage operations to protect parts of watersheds orbits of wildlife habitat. In Alaska,Congress has one great last chance to do thejobright the first time." Sen.Tsongas went on to point out Alaska's envlable economicposition,with a budget surplus allowing repeal of its state income tax and cash rebatesto residents. Sen.Gary Hart(Colo.)outlined differences between his refuge amendment and theEnergy Committee bi11:14 mi1lion acres,most notably four m11lon in the Wi1l1am0.Douglas Arctic Wi1d1ife Refuge,five mi111on in the Yukon Flats Refuge,and the entireNowitna Refuge.He emphasized that the Congress had the opportunity to include entireecological units,saying that such designations should be measured against the scale ofAlaska,not the rest of the U.S.He pointed out inaccuracies in the two major argumentsagainst the amendments:that they're unfair to Alaskans(federal land transfer to state)and they "1ock up"o1l and gas reserves(94 percent of the onshore lands with proven,highand favorable fossil fuel potential

FAQs

What legislation and issue did the Senate begin debating after its July 21 recess?

The Senate began deliberation on the Alaska lands bill, described as the conservation vote of the century.

How did the committee version of H.R.39 differ from the House-passed language?

It substantially revised the House-passed version and, according to the report, emerged from 58 markup sessions with detailed acreage additions and policy issue coverage.

What was the wildlife refuge amendment and when did debate begin on it?

Debate began on Tuesday on the wildlife refuge amendment (No. 1402), which would designate new refuges and enlarge others while leaving out a large Naval Petroleum Reserve area from the House version.

Sep 29, 2026

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