(Adds comment from Murkowski, background)
WASHINGTON, April 3 (Reuters) - The Obama administration onFriday finalized its recommendation to expand protected areas ofAlaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, calling on Congress toblock about 12 million acres (5 million hectares) from oil andgas drilling.
U.S. President Barack Obama, in a letter to House SpeakerJohn Boehner released by the White House, stood by hisadministration's earlier recommendation to preserve a wide swathof the state's Arctic refuge, setting up a likely battle withthe Republican-led Congress over the oil-rich area.
"This area is one of the most beautiful, undisturbed placesin the world. It is a national treasure and should bepermanently protected through legislation for futuregenerations," Obama said in the letter.
The Interior Department first released its proposal callingfor the expanded protections in January but faced instant rebukefrom Republicans, who are pushing energy issues such as therefuge and the Keystone XL pipeline as a major part of theireconomic platform ahead of the 2016 elections.
In his letter to Boehner on Friday, Obama said thedepartment had since reviewed available science and publiccomments in making its final recommendation. He called onCongress to authorize the expansion, a move likely to facefierce resistance in Congress.
The additional 12 million acres would include the refuge'sCoastal Plain. In addition to the current off-limits area, itwould bring the refuge's total protected wilderness area tonearly 20 million acres (8 million hectares).
At the same time, the Obama administration is close toapproving Arctic drilling for Royal Dutch Shell for thefirst time since the company's mishap-plagued 2012 drillingseason.
Environmentalists have hailed the proposed designation, thehighest level of federal protection under which oil and gasdrilling is banned, while Republicans have long-called foropening up the area to boost domestic energy production.
Republican Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, the head of the SenateEnergy and Natural Resources Committee who has introducedlegislation permitting oil production in the Arctic refuge,blasted the move, vowing to block it.
"We will continue to fight against the administration'sefforts to impose new restrictions on Alaska's lands andresources," she said. "A congressional designation of theCoastal Plain as wilderness will not happen on my watch."
More than 15 environmental advocacy groups, including theSierra Club and the League of Conservation Voters, vowed theirsupport in a joint statement.
"We're pleased to see President Obama courageously followthrough on his commitment to protect the coastal plain of theArctic National Wildlife Refuge," said Defenders of WildlifePresident and Chief Executive Officer Jamie Rappaport Clark. (Additiona reporting by Timothy Gardner; Editing by SandraMaler)
