Biden administration restricts oil leasing in Alaska's petroleum reserve

The decision finalizes protections initially proposed last year, concurrent with the administration's controversial approval of the Willow oil project, which drew widespread criticism from environmental groups. It also aligns with an earlier plan to close nearly half of the reserve to oil and gas leasing, reports AP News.

The announcement was met with strong opposition from Republican lawmakers in Alaska, led by Senators Dan Sullivan and Lisa Murkowski. They accused the administration of illegally attacking the state's economic lifeline and predicted legal challenges.

Sullivan condemned the decision, stating, "It's more than a one-two punch to Alaska because when you take off access to our resources, when you say you cannot drill, you cannot produce, you cannot explore, you cannot move it — this is the energy insecurity that we're talking about."

The Interior Department clarified that the decision does not alter the terms of existing leases in the reserve or impact currently authorized operations, including the controversial Willow project.

Additionally, the Biden administration recommended rejecting a state corporation's application for a proposed 210-mile (338-kilometer) road in northwest Alaska, intended to facilitate mining of critical mineral deposits. The U.S. Bureau of Land Management determined that the road-building alternatives analyzed would significantly and irrevocably impact resources.

Brian Ridley, chief of the Tanana Chiefs Conference, an Alaska Native nonprofit corporation, praised the decision to reject the Ambler Road Project as a "monumental step forward in the fight for Indigenous rights and environmental justice." The tribes had expressed concerns about the road's potential harm to their communities, land, and wildlife.

The American Petroleum Institute, the oil industry's top lobbying group, criticized the decision as "misguided" and claimed it sharply limits future oil and natural gas development in the petroleum reserve, a region intended by Congress to bolster America's energy security.

President Biden defended the decision, stating that Alaska's "majestic and rugged lands and waters are among the most remarkable and healthy landscapes in the world" and demand protection, particularly for Alaska Native communities.

Environmentalists celebrated the decision as a commitment to conservation and addressing the climate and biodiversity crisis, while urging even bolder action to keep the fossil fuel industry out of the Arctic region.