Quality of life always worth defending</MCC HEAD>

Story last updated at 12:59 p.m. Thursday, February 6, 2003

Quality of life always worth defending
Tuesday night's meeting of the Kenai Peninsula Borough Assembly marked the end of the road for public debate on the proposed lower Cook Inlet oil and gas lease sales. The often heated debate showed a clear division in opinion between residents of the southern peninsula, who largely oppose the sales, and their counterparts in the central peninsula.

The assembly added its voice Tuesday with a vote of support for a resolution favoring the sales.

How the federal Minerals Management Service will reconcile conflicting testimony remains to be seen. But one thing is clear: Kachemak Bay-area residents were not timid about letting their own voices be heard.

We applaud those who took the time to testify at the Homer hearing Jan. 23 and again at the borough assembly meeting Tuesday night. The battle may appear to be lost, but the effort extended is a good reminder of the importance of taking a stand in defense of quality of life.

-- Mark Kelsey, editor

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