A statement from Nagruk Harcharek, President of the Voice of Arctic Iñupiat (“VOICE”). VOICE is a nonprofit organization established in 2015 by the region’s collective Iñupiat leadership to speak with a unified voice on issues impacting the North Slope Iñupiat, their communities, their economy, and their culture. Its members include local governments, Alaska Native Corporations, federally recognized tribes, and tribal non-profits across the North Slope of Alaska. VOICE’s board unanimously passed a resolution in support of advancing the Willow Project to support the economic well-being of the North Slope Iñupiat.
“We believe that the U.S. District Court for the District of Alaska’s decision to deny an injunction to temporarily halt construction on Willow reaffirms the importance of the project and upholds the widespread support for the project across Alaska Native communities. The court’s decision is another step forward for Alaska, Alaska Native self-determination, and for America’s energy security.
“The Willow Project will provide overwhelming benefits to Alaska Native communities while coexisting with our subsistence lifestyle. Over its lifetime, Willow is expected to generate hundreds of direct jobs and thousands of construction jobs, along with contracting opportunities for Native-owned businesses. The more than $1 billion generated in tax revenue for the North Slope Borough, in addition to a projected $2.5 billion to the NPR-A Impact Mitigation Grant Program, will go toward basic social and emergency services, jobs in North Slope communities as well as the development of modern infrastructure in the region.
“North Slope communities have waited nearly a generation for the Willow Project to advance, offering long-term economic stability and affirming our right to self-determination. The U.S. District Court for the District of Alaska’s decision moves North Slope communities one step closer toward this economically secure future.”