ANCHORAGE, ALASKA ? President Bush made a strong appeal here Saturday for opening the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to energy exploration, saying that such a move would start the nation toward energy independence.

“We’ve got to find energy in our own country. And a great place to start is right here in the great state of Alaska,” Bush said of his proposal to explore a portion of the pristine refuge in northern Alaska.

That plan, as did a similar push by the first President Bush, has drawn strong condemnation from environmentalists and has met with determined opposition from the Democratic-controlled Senate.

But the president on Saturday brushed aside those concerns during a speech before military personnel at Elmendorf Air Force Base, adding that drilling would be “good for jobs.”

The president stopped here on his way to Tokyo.

The development of the administration’s energy policy was headed by Vice President Dick Cheney, like Bush a former oilman. Cheney and his task force have come under fire not only for some of its controversial elements but also for not disclosing details of their work.