It is a sad day for Alaskan wildlife. On Tuesday, President Bush lifted the last remaining drilling ban for Alaska’s Bristol Bay. The 5.6 million acre area has been off limits since 1989. Bush has done this while Congress attempts to put new bans in place, but he will probably just ignore those with another signing statement.

This bay is a part of the Bering Sea and is notorious for major winter storms with high winds and high seas which will increase the risks of a major oil spill.

Congress first banned drilling in the bay following the Exxon Valdez disaster. With a quick signature, Bush has undone 15 years of bi-partisan protection for the area in the hopes of reducing American dependency on foreign oil.

We can only hope that the newly elected Democratic congress can and will undo this mistake.