...Secretary Salazar has taken a bold step to protect one of America's wildest places from energy development," said Charles Clusen of the Natural Resources Defense Council, by email.Critics, however, said Salazar picked the most restrictive...

...because Congress in 1980 designated a portion of the coastal plain to study for possible oil and gas development. But Charles Clusen, a senior policy analyst for the Natural Resources Defense Council, said oil development is "incompatible with...

...provide sanctuary for wildlife and migratory birds but were set aside in the 1920s for potential energy development. Charles Clusen, director of the Alaska lands project for the Natural Resources Defense Council, said the leasing plan rewards friends...