Arctic grazing systems and industrial development: can we minimize conflicts?

Abstract

The industrialized world is expanding its search for energy, minerals, timber and other resources into the Arctic and adjacent higher latitudes. Up to now, large-scale development projects in the Arctic and sub-Arctic have been few. We can, however, profit from experiences gained from several of these, including oil and gas exploration and development in Alaska and on Russia's Yamal Peninsula, the Norilsk metalurgical complex of Siberia, Alaska's Red Dog mine and others. Conclusions drawn from these experiences are that industrial impacts on Arctic grazing systems can be minimized if the following considerations guide their planning: 1) most of the large development projects that have been undertaken in the North have lacked adequate background information on the grazing systems that they might impact; 2) there needs to be recognition by industry and governments for the amount of time required to gather such information and provision made for this; 3) because types of impacts on northern grazing systems that may result from development projects vary depending on whether they involve mining, oil or gas, hydroelectric or other activities, each proposed project must be assessed independently; 4) cumulative effects of multiple projects, often sequentially developed, are seldom addressed by the responsible governments, thus planning for development of an individual project should be within the context of regional and long-range development planning; and 5) types and sources of contaminants entering northern ecosystems, threatening the health of northern residents, must also be a major focus of project assessment.