New Jersey Groups Launch TV Ads Urging GOP Members to Protect Arctic Refuge From Oil Drilling

New Jersey Groups Launch TV Ads Urging GOP Members to Protect Arctic Refuge From Oil Drilling

TV, Print & Internet Ads Target New Jersey's GOP Congressmen as They Cast Deciding Votes

TRENTON, N.J., Oct. 24 /PRNewswire/ -- New television ads calling on New Jersey's GOP delegation to protect the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge from oil drilling began airing today. The ads, unveiled by a broad coalition of statewide supporters, are part of a multi-media campaign that includes print and Internet ads. Together, the ads are an effort to remind New Jersey's Congressmen of their rich history of protecting the Arctic Refuge from drilling.

"New Jersey's GOP delegation holds a considerable amount of leverage in deciding the fate of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge," stated Rodger Schlickeisen, President of Defenders of Wildlife. "In previous votes, they have each championed the refuge and today we are urging them to continue their principled stand and oppose any attempt to open the refuge to drilling."

Representatives Chris Smith, Jim Saxton, Michael Ferguson, Rodney Frelinghuysen, and Frank LoBiondo have all voted to protect the refuge when the issue has come up in the past. Reps. Smith, Saxton, and Ferguson further indicated their intent to continue that tradition by signing a recent letter to their leadership asking that drilling language be kept out of the budget reconciliation bill. It was not.

"Pro-drilling forces have buried language opening the refuge deep in the budget reconciliation package under consideration," stated Julia Shaw of the Alaska Coalition of New Jersey. "There it is shielded from debate, filibuster and most importantly, the public eye. What they cannot pass in broad daylight, they are instead seeking to pass under the cover of darkness."

Because the language is a part of the budget bill, members are under pressure to support the party's spending priorities despite the damage the bill would do to the refuge.

"The Arctic Refuge is one of our nation's greatest wilderness areas," said Sandy Matsen, past president of League of Women Voters of New Jersey. "Opening it up to drilling is not a wise way to develop a stainable energy policy."

The TV ads also remind voters that a report from the U.S. Energy Department found drilling in the refuge would only save about one cent per gallon -- 20 years from now.

"This will be the most decisive vote to protect the Arctic Refuge in the last quarter century," said Doug O'Malley, NJPIRG's Field Director. "We urge all of these five Congressmen to reject this budget bill so we can preserve the Arctic. This will establish a precedent -- do we drill in wild places or do we preserve them?"

"God and our religious traditions teach us to respect the earth and to be good stewards of natural resources," added Rev. Fletcher Harper, Executive Director of GreenFaith. "Drilling in the Arctic violates that sacred trust."

The ads will air on cable stations in each Congressman's respective districts throughout the state.

Source: Defenders of Wildlife

CONTACT: William Lutz of the Defenders of Wildlife, +1-703-568-7600, or Doug O'Malley of NJPIRG, +1-917-449-6812

Web site: http://www.defenders.org/

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