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MARCH 19, 2001

The United States Geological Survey, an agency of the Department of Interior, last week fired a contract employee who placed a map showing the location of baby caribou calving areas in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge on a government website.

The caribou herd is an issue being considered as part of the debate to open up the Refuge to oil drilling. The Gwiichin Alaska Natives oppose drilling because they say it will harm the caribou herd, on which they depend for subsistence and culture.

So Ian Thomas put a map showing the calving locations. But the USGS fired him, saying he was working out of his assigned duties and posted incorrect and outdated information in the map.

Get the Story:
USGS dismisses worker over ANWR caribou map (The Los Angeles Times 3/17)

Relevant Links:
The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, US Fish and Wildlife - http://arctic.fws.gov/
Arctic Power's Pro-Drilling Site - http://www.anwr.org