The Department of the Interior (DOI) said on Oct. 23 that it will reopen the coastal plain of Alaska’s Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) to oil and gas leasing, reversing the limits imposed by the previous administration.
The Biden administration had previously restricted oil and gas activity in the reservation as part of an effort to preserve fish and wildlife habitats.
After taking office for a second term on Jan. 20, President Donald Trump signed an executive order instructing the reinstatement of the leasing program in the 1.56-million-acre coastal plain.
The DOI said in a statement that, in accordance with Trump’s order, it has now issued a new record of decision reopening the area to oil and gas development….