Trump administration repealing protections for key swaths of Alaska petroleum reserve

JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) – The Trump administration said Thursday it is rescinding federal rules that were aimed at protecting from future oil and gas leasing vast swaths of a petroleum reserve in Alaska that provide key habitat for migrating birds, caribou and other wildlife.

The U.S. Interior Department said the final rule would be published next week but announced it is repealing rules put in place last year. Those rules restricted future leasing and industrial development in areas within the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska designated as special for wildlife, subsistence or other values.

Thursday’s announcement is in line with an Alaska-specific executive order President Donald Trump signed upon his return to office. The order sought to unravel policies put in place by his predecessor, Democrat Joe Biden, that state political leaders complained had limited Alaska’s ability to develop its vast energy resources, including oil and gas.

The Biden-era rules also had called for the Interior Department to evaluate regularly whether to designate new special areas or to boost protections in those areas. They cited rapidly changing conditions in the Arctic – such as melting permafrost and changes in plant life and wildlife corridors – due to climate change. The agency under Biden said the rules would not affect existing leases or operations, including the large Willow oil project, but would “raise the bar” for future development.

Interior Secretary Doug Burgum in June said the Biden-era rules were at odds with a leasing program mandate for the petroleum reserve and prioritized “obstruction over production.”

There has been longstanding debate over where oil and gas should be developed within the reserve. Supporters cite the petroleum reserve’s name to underscore their point that it’s a place for drilling. But opponents say federal law requires a balancing act for managing the reserve that includes environmental considerations and protections.

The reserve, roughly the size of Indiana, was set aside more than a century ago as an emergency oil supply for the U.S. Navy. It’s been overseen by the Interior Department since the 1970s.

Biden had angered many environmentalists when his administration approved Willow in the northeast portion of the reserve in 2023. Development of that project has being ongoing.

The most recent lease sale for the reserve was in 2019. A law passed earlier this year by Congress calls for at least five sales within the reserve over a 10-year period.

Voice of the Arctic Iñupiat, an advocacy group that includes leaders from Alaska’s petroleum-rich North Slope, has seen responsible development as important for the economic wellbeing of communities in the region. Members expressed concerns during the Biden administration that their views weren’t being heard, and lauded Thursday’s announcement.

Josiah Patkotak, North Slope Borough mayor, in a statement called repealing the rules “a meaningful step toward restoring a federal process that respects local knowledge and leadership.”

But environmentalists criticized the administration’s decision as short-sighted. Erik Grafe, an attorney with Earthjustice, in a statement called it “another example of how the Trump administration is trying to take us back in time with its reckless fossil fuels agenda.”

“This would sweep aside common-sense regulations aimed at more responsibly managing the Western Arctic’s irreplaceable lands and wildlife for future generations,” he said.