The Vuntut Gwitchin people could use the opening of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) as an opportunity for their community.

That's what Alaska Gov. Frank Murkowski told a packed room at the Opportunities North trade show in Whitehorse on Wednesday.

'That 1002 (refuge) area footprint would be very small, it would be manageable, and the impact on the Gwitchins would pretty much be what they make of them,' said Murkowski.

Drawing reference to the Red Dog zinc mine in northwest Alaska, Murkowski said there can be positive impacts on aboriginal and first nation communities when a new economic development opportunity opens up if the group is willing to take advantage of it.

Development cannot just create job opportunities, but can also provide educational prospects and improve the quality of life for first nations people, he said.

'Those are individual reflections on realities that we've had some experience in Alaska.'

He added, 'Things change, people's values change, children with educational opportunities make decisions.'

Murkowski has been a vocal proponent for oil drilling off the coast plains of ANWR, which is the calving grounds of the Porcupine caribou herd.

The herd, which migrates from the Northwest Territories across the northern Yukon to Alaska, serves as a lifeblood of the Gwitchin people.

The governor's comments came only a day following a 3,000-strong rally in Washington, D.C., which opposed the drilling in the refuge.

Some estimates suggest there are up to 10.4 billion barrels of oil available in the coastal plains.

However, other research indicates there are only six months' worth of economically-recoverable oil, and it wouldn't be available for approximately 10 years.

It's suspected that drilling in the refuge could have devastating effects on the herd.

However, Murkowski said there is no scientific reason to believe the drilling can't be done safely.

'I ask you to consider the footprint,' he said. 'ANWR is 19 million acres; that's the size of the state of South Carolina.

'Our Congress has put eight million acres in a wilderness, 9.5 million acres in a refuge, leaving 1.5 million acres only Congress can authorize exploration and development.

'The entire refuge area is being managed as a wilderness, so in theory, you've got about 60 of the 90 million acres that are managed as a wilderness.

'The House of Representatives has authorized a footprint of 2,000 acres; that's not much bigger than your airport here.'

When looking at the actual dimensions of the drilling, it's clear the project would be safe and environmentally manageable, Murkowski argued.

There needs to be give and take in any development, he said. Much of the debate currently revolves around a 'mental gap' regarding past experiences of other aboriginal groups.

Murkowski said a poster seen in Washington which states 'Don't let happen to caribou what happened to the buffalo,' has become a very effective lobbying technique, but suggested that type of situation would not occur in the ANWR.

'The unfortunate part, in my opinion, is the inability to bridge this mental gap associated with what other aboriginal people have done,' he said.

'I respect the aboriginal interpretation and rights of free choice. But I also respect the rights of individual first nation groups to evaluate for themselves the merits associated with job opportunities, educational opportunities, quality of life improvements.'

Congress is expected to vote on the controversial budget bill in October.