Environmentalists petition Clinton to designate coastal plain monument

The Natural Resources Defense Council recently sent out an “earth action” bulletin “for environmental activists ,” requesting people to encourage President Clinton to exercise his authority under the Antiquities Act to designate the coastal plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge a national monument.

Environmentalists are asked to contact the president, letting him know that “with one stroke of his pen, he can secure his environmental legacy by banning oil rigs in the refuge forever.”

Cam Toohey, executive director of Arctic Power, said that it is the first call from environmentalists for creating a Coastal Plain Monument. Up until now they have been pushing for legislatively designated wilderness for the region, said Toohey.