The Trump Administration Announces Rollback of a Rule that Helped Protect the Western Arctic from Harmful Oil and Gas Drilling

The Trump Administration Announces Rollback of a Rule that Helped Protect the Western Arctic from Harmful Oil and Gas Drilling

The Department of the Interior announced it will finalize the rescission of common-sense rules aimed at better protecting ecologically sensitive public lands including Teshekpuk Lake

Contacts

Elizabeth Manning, [email protected]

The Department of Interior announced that it has finalized the repeal of a 2024 rule that provided important protections against oil and gas development for ecologically and culturally significant Special Areas within the Western Arctic. The lands in question cover more than 13 million acres within the 23-million-acre National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska, the largest tract of public land in the U.S. that remains largely undeveloped.

DOI said the final rule will be published in the Federal Register on Monday, Nov. 17.

The rollback comes amidst plans for massive oil and gas expansion in the region. The Trump administration also plans to maximize oil leasing by re-adopting a management plan from President Trump's first term that vastly increases the land available in the Western Arctic for oil production.

The rule, which was enacted in May 2024 after a lengthy public process, limited the expansion of harmful oil and gas development within five designated Special Areas: Teshekpuk Lake, Kasegaluk Lagoon, Utukok River Uplands, Colville River and Pearce Bay.

The rule also provided guidelines to protect fish, wildlife, migratory birds and subsistence activities.

Earthjustice supporters submitted nearly 55,000 comments opposing the repeal during the 60-day comment period. When the rule was first proposed, more than 250,000 people voiced support for the protections.

"Today's action is another example of how the Trump administration is trying to take us back in time with its reckless fossil fuels agenda," said Earthjustice Attorney Erik Grafe. "This would sweep aside common-sense regulations aimed at more responsibly managing the Western Arctic's irreplaceable lands and wildlife for future generations. It rewinds the clock to regulations last updated in 1977. This is no way to secure our future."

Background

Five Special Areas within the Western Arctic provide critically important wildlife habitat, are critical for the traditional subsistence practices of local Alaska Native people and already face dramatic disruption due to climate change.

When Congress transferred management of the Western Arctic from the U.S. Navy to the Bureau of Land Management in 1976, it recognized the area's rich ecological values and required "maximum protection" of fish, wildlife, and habitat. When Congress authorized leasing and oil development in 1980, it again directed the federal government to ensure the protection of the Western Arctic's ecological and cultural resources.

Additional Resources

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• About the Alaska Office

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