The U.S. Senate has failed to push through a measure in military budget legislation that would have permitted the opening of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) for drilling.

Alaskan Republican Senator Ted Stevens had attached the provision to the budget bill, which is considered an essential piece of legislation.

It was hoped by Stevens the senators would be unable to reject the bill, which provides funding for the salaries of U.S. troops, military weapons programs, Hurricane Katrina reconstruction funding and a winter heating program.

However, the Senate's Democrats and a few Republicans opposed to the drilling threatened to filibuster the bill as a delay tactic.

The Republicans failed to get the 60 votes needed to cut off debate in a 56-44 vote this morning. The leaders of the two parties are now expected to rework the legislation and remove the ANWR provision.

'I'm very, very happy,' said Yukon MP Larry Bagnell. 'They were really grasping at straws.'

'It's a good Christmas present for the Vuntut Gwitchin people,' said NDP Leader Todd Hardy.

Stevens' methods to attempt to attach the drilling to the military bill, especially right before the holidays, was 'not that ethical,' said Bagnell.

'It was a last-ditch desperation maneuvering and it didn't work.'

Hardy agreed.

'Mr. Stevens should not have tried to contact the vote on ANWR drilling to military spending,' said Hardy.

Many of the American senators seemed to be 'very uncomfortable with the tactics of trying to slip (ANWR) through,' said Hardy.

'It is unethical. (Stevens) was trying to use an emotional vote (to advance the drilling),' he said.

The fact ANWR will likely be removed from the legislation is an indication many Americans are 'respecting the process,' said Bagnell.

He added there are not many maneuvers that can be used to try to get the drilling included in this budget cycle.

Even though this cycle may be close to over, the issue of ANWR will emerge again in the coming year, said Hardy. It will likely remain an issue until legislation is brought forward to protect the area for good.

Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist has already indicated that though he voted 'no' in today's vote for procedural reasons, the drilling will likely still be brought up in another vote.

Stevens has been pushing to allow for drilling in ANWR for over 20 years.

He proposed that 80 per cent of the proceeds made from the drilling be directed toward hurricane relief and five per cent to energy assistance programs.

The refuge is the calving grounds of the Porcupine caribou herd, which is the lifeblood of northern Yukon's Vuntut Gwitchin people.

If the drilling of the 607,000 hectares of the refuge's coastal plain in Alaska is permitted, many expect it to have devastating effects on the herd.

Vuntut Gwitchin Chief Joe Linklater could not be reached for comment.