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MAY 17, 2001

Ian Thomas was fired from his contracting job at the US Geological Survey two months ago but is still newsworthy to warrant an interview with Reuters since the reason he was fired was over the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.

Thomas made maps showing the birthing grounds of the caribou in the refuge and was fired because officials said they were inaccurate and were posted online without proper review. The caribou are part of the debate over drilling in the refuge because environmentalists and Gwich'in Alaska Natives fear they will be hurt.

Thomas now works for the World Wildlife Fund in Washington, DC, making maps.

Get the Story:
Fired U.S. Mapmaker's Role in Bush Energy Plan (Reuters 5/15)

Relevant Links:
Maptricks, Ian Thomas' web site - http://www.maptricks.com
Gwich'in Steering Committee - http://www.alaska.net/~gwichin
Oil Issues in ANWR, US Fish and Wildlife - http://arctic.fws.gov/issues1.html
The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, US Fish and Wildlife Service - http://arctic.fws.gov
The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, Pro-Development site - http://www.anwr.org

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