Trump opens Alaska land for oil drilling by proposing to expand development across 7 million more acres in the state’s Arctic reserve. The US Bureau of Land Management released a draft that would open 82% of the National Petroleum Reserve Alaska to leasing.
That equates to 18.5 million acres, up from the current 11.7 million acres authorized under a 2013 Obama-era plan. The proposal mirrors a previously attempted Trump administration strategy that never advanced but now returns with fewer environmental safeguards.
Acting Assistant Secretary Adam Suess said the plan would boost American jobs and reduce dependency on foreign energy imports. The reserve on Alaska’s Western North Slope is home to the 600 million barrel Willow field that ConocoPhillips is developing.
However, it also includes vital habitat for caribou migratory birds and wildlife that local indigenous communities depend on for subsistence. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum posted on X declaring the administration is unleashing American energy and rolling back what he called Biden’s regulatory overreach.
One significant change includes opening the Teshekpuk Lake Special Area, which has been protected since 1977, to oil development. That area provides a world-class migratory bird habitat and supports the Teshekpuk caribou herd.
The new plan would eliminate protections for the Colville River, which is known for its raptor nests and prehistoric fossil discoveries. The Obama administration had expanded safeguards for both areas to balance development and conservation.
Environmental groups quickly opposed the draft plan, calling it a sellout of public lands to oil companies. Matt Jackson of The Wilderness Society said the administration was abandoning science-based protections for corporate profit.
President Trump previously signed an executive order on his first day in office directing officials to undo Biden-era environmental rules. Now, the public has 14 days to comment on the new proposal as Trump once more opens the land for oil exploration.
