WHEREAS, the United States imports up to 64 percent of the petroleum and 19 percent of the natural gas our nation uses, forcing Americans to suffer from huge spikes in the price of international oil and gas; and

WHEREAS, the nation's dependence on imported oil results in the purchase of much of that oil from nations whose foreign policy aims and human rights standards do not coincide with those of the United States; and

WHEREAS, dependence on foreign energy sources has threatened national security and put our military forces in harm's way in order to ensure that energy supplies are not disrupted; and.

WHEREAS, there is high potential for oil and gas development in North America and especially Alaska, where 30 trillion cubic feet of proven reserves of natural gas are currently on the North Slope, and vast unproven reserves exist throughout Alaska; and

WHEREAS, construction of a 2,000-mile, 52-inch-diameter Alaska Natural Gas Pipeline would create thousands of good-paying jobs for American workers and could fire American steel mills with the 6 million tons of steel necessary to build this pipeline; and

WHEREAS, an Alaska gas pipeline would deliver nearly 4.5 billion cubic feet of natural gas per day to American homes and factories, almost 8 percent of domestic gas consumption at current rates, and

WHEREAS, natural gas is a cleaner-burning, environmentally friendly fuel which will help the nation reduce impacts on global climate change;

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the U.S. Conference of Mayors recognizes the importance of fueling America's economic engine through a steady supply of inexpensive energy such as that which could be provided by Alaska; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the U.S. Conference of Mayors endorse, pending completion of appropriate environmental review, a project to bring Alaska gas to market and that any such project must ensure full pipeline safety to protect the public and environment.