By Margaret Bauman
Alaska Journal of Commerce

Environmentally safe development of oil and gas resources in the North Aleutian Basin will be the subject of a workshop March 18-19 in Anchorage, coordinated by the Alaska Sea Grant College Program.

Organizers said they hope to continue a dialogue that began last October, when key stakeholders outlined their positions on development and organized the March agenda.

Robin Samuelsen, president and chief executive officer of the Bristol Bay Economic Development Association, has expressed concern over the intent of the meeting. Samuelsen, a prominent business leader and commercial fisherman, said he believes there are not enough Bristol Bay watershed residents on the committee.

The prospect of oil and gas exploration and development in the North Aleutian Basin, as well as the proposed Pebble mine, has prompted concern from fishermen, outdoor enthusiasts and conservation groups.

Meeting organizer and Alaska Sea Grant director Brian Allee said the goal of the meetings is to find common ground and build cordial, working relationships.

The gathering will also offer a chance for energy and fisheries industries to learn about each other's operations, he said.

The federal Minerals Management Service last year announced plans to sell oil and gas exploration leases in a part of the North Aleutian Basin beginning in 2011.

According to MMS, the North Aleutian Basin oil and gas if developed could be worth $3 billion to $6 billion per year for the next 25 to 40 years. Officials with the federal agency estimate the region contains 8.6 trillion cubic feet of gas and 750 million barrels of oil or condensate. Shell, one of the world's largest oil and gas companies, expressed interest in developing the energy deposits believed to exist beneath the seafloor.

Still many area residents are concerned about the possible impact of oil and gas development on the region's fisheries, valued at more than $2 billion annually.

Possible impacts include oil spills and navigation hazards, as well as competition for limited dock space and loss of jobs as deckhands and others take higher-paying energy jobs.

Also of concern are issues such as harbors, roads and other infrastructure, and the social impacts of population growth and cash that would flow into the region.

Allee said he hopes the meetings will evolve into a regular forum for discussion about the research needed to ensure safe development of the region's resources, and a place for people to find solutions to their concerns. Over time, Allee said the forum might evolve into a citizen oversight council, such as those already in place for Cook Inlet and Prince William Sound.

Following the Anchorage gathering, Alaska Sea Grant plans a meeting in Kodiak to explain the lease sale and gather input from local residents. That meeting is scheduled for March 21 at the Kodiak High School, in conjunction with the Kodiak ComFish trade show. The meeting will include a panel of Kodiak residents discussing the North Aleutian Basin lease sale impacts on Kodiak, and speakers explaining development issues in the region.