White House approves increased oil and gas drilling in Alaska’s national wildlife refuge

The Trump administration moved to expand oil and gas development in Alaska, opening 1.56 million acres of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge’s coastal plain and planning a winter lease sale in the National Petroleum Reserve, the first since 2019, reversing a 2024 Biden protection. The Interior Department also reissued permits for the 211-mile Ambler Road through the Izembek refuge. Interior secretary Doug Burgum praised the decisions as boosting energy, jobs and growth. Environmental groups warned of risks to polar bears, caribou and over 200,000 migratory birds, and threats to Indigenous communities including the Gwich’in.

Reviewed by JQJO team

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