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Biden Administration Cancels Remaining Oil And Gas Leases In Arctic Refuge
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The Biden administration on Wednesday canceled all remaining oil and gas leases in Alaska’s Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, and proposed new limits on development in the National Petroleum Reserve.
“As the climate crisis warms the Arctic more than twice as fast as the rest of the world, we have a responsibility to protect this treasured region for all ages,” President Joe Biden said in a statement.
“Canceling all remaining oil and gas leases issued under the previous administration in the Arctic Refuge and protecting more than 13 million acres in the Western Arctic will help preserve our Arctic lands and wildlife, while honoring the culture, history, and enduring wisdom of Alaska Natives who have lived on these lands since time immemorial,” Biden said.
The Trump administration in its final days sold nine leases on the Arctic Refuge’s Coastal Plain, which were suspended weeks later by the Biden administration, pending a review by the Department of the Interior. Two of those leases were canceled at the request of the lessees, and the remaining seven, held by the Alaska Industrial Development and Export Authority, were canceled Wednesday.
“With climate change warming the Arctic more than twice as fast as the rest of the planet, we must do everything within our control to meet the highest standards of care to protect this fragile ecosystem,” Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland said in a statement.
“President Biden is delivering on the most ambitious climate and conservation agenda in history. The steps we are taking today further that commitment, based on the best available science and in recognition of the Indigenous Knowledge of the original stewards of this area, to safeguard our public lands for future generations,” Haaland said.
Along with canceling the leases Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, the department proposed new protections for more than 13 million acres within the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska, “while supporting subsistence activities for Alaska Native communities.”
The area covered includes the Teshekpuk Lake, Utukok Uplands, Colville River, Kasegaluk Lagoon, and Peard Bay Special Areas, which are home to wildlife including grizzly and polar bears, caribou and migratory birds. The proposed rules would protect those areas for Alaska Natives who rely on subsistence hunting and fishing.
The move builds on previous protections for Arctic lands and waters implemented by the Biden administration, including protecting 2.8 million acres of the Beaufort Sea from future oil and gas drilling.
Alaska’s Republican governor threatened to sue over the cancellation.
“The leases AIDEA hold in ANWR were legally issued in a sale mandated by Congress. It’s clear that President Biden needs a refresher on the Constitution’s separation of powers doctrine. Federal agencies don’t get to rewrite laws, and that is exactly what the Department of the Interior is trying to do here,” Gov. Mike Dunleavy said in a statement. “We will fight for Alaska’s right to develop its own resources and will be turning to the courts to correct the Biden Administration’s wrong.”
TMX contributed to this article.
