Attempts to sell off parts of the Alaskan Arctic to further fossil fuel extraction have been thwarted. The Biden administration has officially canceled oil and gas leases in Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge – and some Republican politicians aren’t happy about it.
The US Secretary of the Interior announced this week that the remaining seven oil and gas leases issued by the Trump administration have been canned, following a suspension by the Biden administration in June 2021. They also put forward a number of new regulations which they say would “ensure maximum protection” for the more than 5 million hectares (13 million acres) of reserve.
The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge consists of over 78,000 square kilometers (30,100 square miles) of rolling tundra and wetlands in the Alaska North Slope region that’s home to an incredible array of American biodiversity, including polar bears, grizzly bears, black bears, moose, caribou, wolves, eagles, lynx, wolverines, martens, and beavers. It is also the traditional homeland of the Iñupiat and Gwichʼin peoples.
Beneath its surface lies some 11 billion barrels of oil, which have been the subject of heated political jostling since the 1970s.
The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge isn’t totally safe from fossil fuel extraction just yet, however. A 2017 law requires that a lease sale must go ahead by late 2024 and officials are reportedly not planning on fighting that decision.
Furthermore, there is likely to be political pushback against the cancellations. Mike Dunleavy, the governor of Alaska, suggests the cancellation is unlawful as the leases were “properly acquired 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,” Dunleavy posted on social media.
“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.”
Other Republicans have voiced their anger too. Senator Dan Sullivan said: "Having just spent more than a month home in communities across our state, there is palpable anger and frustration among Alaskans about the Biden administration’s unrelenting assault on our economy and our ability to lawfully access our lands. This war on Alaska is devastating for not only Alaska but also the energy security of the nation."
Many, however, were pleased with the news. The move was applauded by conservation groups, environmentalists, and Indigenous communities, who took the decision as a major victory for the region and the planet at large.
“Today is a good day for climate, Indigenous communities, and our Arctic ecosystem. At a time when the reality of the climate crisis is daily news, the Biden administration is taking necessary action in the Arctic to move us toward a more sustainable future. Leases should have never been granted in the Arctic Refuge under President Trump’s illegal Coastal Plain leasing program, especially to AIDEA – a state-owned development corporation with a track record of failures and no oil and gas experience,” Kristen Miller, executive director of Alaska Wilderness League, said in a statement.
“This decisive action undoes an egregious attack on this cherished place and will help to vindicate the rights of Indigenous people and protect vital habitat. Looking ahead, we hope to see the strongest possible protections for the Arctic Refuge and the Western Arctic in the years to come,” Abigail Dillen, President of Earthjustice, said in another statement.
