WASHINGTON -- A conglomerate of environmental groups on Wednesday announced a summer of rallies, media ads and a "Don't Drill on Me" tour to block oil development in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.
Americans are outraged that Congress is considering opening the refuge to drilling rigs, said Bill Meadows, president of The Wilderness Society.
"We're going to have hundreds of thousands of people this summer participating in these efforts," he predicted.
The Senate passed an energy bill this week that did not include ANWR drilling, but the prospect is very much alive in a budget bill Congress will take up in the fall, probably in September.
Environmentalists and Arctic Power, the pro-drilling lobby that the state of Alaska funds, are gearing up for that fight in the Senate, where a close vote is forecast.
Jerry Hood, who leads Arctic Power's efforts here, said he feels outgunned. The environmentalists often suggest they're fighting "Big Oil," but the oil industry has largely pulled out of Arctic Power. Hood said he has just $1.2 million from the state to work with, and little else.
"This is an Alaska grass-roots effort that is minimally funded compared to our opponents," he said.
Of course, the environmentalists are also laying claim to the grass roots.
Anti-drilling organizers from all corners of the country announced themselves at Wednesday's press teleconference.
So far, Meadows said, they have coordinators in 32 states.
As part of the campaign, two specially marked "rally vans" will tour Midwestern and Eastern states. The vans will go to shopping malls, festivals, farmers markets, state fairs and parades to spread the anti-drilling message.
"The vans will be packed with signs, stickers, polar bears, and everything else you need to hold a 'Save the Arctic Refuge Rally,' " Katie Little said in an e-mail. She is a "grass-roots campaign associate" with the Alaska Coalition, one of a score of environmental and church groups backing the summer campaign.
Kim Novik, an organizer in Illinois, said a 20-foot inflatable drilling rig will visit 100 cities as part of the "Don't Drill on Me" tour.
It will all culminate in "Wilderness Week," a period of intense activism, congressional visits and another rally in Washington in September, she said.
Meadows said the Arctic Refuge Action campaign has more than $1 million already, and he doesn't think it will hurt for money.
Hood said Arctic Power has no inflatable props to help make its case.
"No, but I just went down and bought some pins," he said.
He didn't want to reveal too much of Arctic Power's game plan but noted that he has labor unions on his side, and unions have affiliates nationwide.
He also has the Republican leaders in Congress and the White House.
"But we're not taking anything for granted. This is a monumental task for us," Hood said.
Reporter Liz Ruskin can be reached at lruskin@adn.com.
