BLM to Open Vast Areas of Alaska Reserve to Oil and Gas Drilling

By Ginika Igboke

The U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) announced on Dec. 22 that it will open more public land in Alaska to oil and gas drilling, reversing restrictions put in place during the Biden administration.

BLM updated its activity plan for the National Petroleum Reserve on Alaska’s North Slope, reopening an area nearly the size of South Carolina to oil and gas leasing. The move restores access to much of the reserve and overturns limits imposed in recent years.

According to the agency, the decision returns the National Petroleum Reserve to its original purpose as a strategic domestic energy supply.

Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy praised the move as a significant development for both the state and the nation’s energy outlook.

“By reopening nearly 82 percent of the 23-million-acre reserve to responsible oil and gas leasing, this decision restores balance, strengthens our energy security, and creates opportunities for good-paying jobs while maintaining strong environmental standards,” Dunleavy said in a post on X. “Alaska stands ready to help power the nation.”

The reserve encompasses millions of acres of treeless plains, winding rivers, and wetlands that support caribou, migratory birds, polar bears, wolves, and Native communities. Under the Trump administration’s plan, land open to leasing will increase from about 11.8 million acres to more than 18.5 million acres.

Acting BLM Director Bill Groffy called the updated plan a return to congressional intent.

“This updated plan is a major step forward in restoring the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska to the purpose Congress intended,” Groffy said. “By opening more of the reserve to responsible development, we are helping meet national energy needs while continuing the legacy begun in the 2020 plan for thorough environmental review and strong engagement with Alaska communities.”

The change follows a Trump administration rule finalized on Nov. 13 that rescinded Biden-era restrictions on oil and gas drilling on the North Slope. Former Interior Secretary Deb Haaland had canceled seven oil and gas leases in the reserve in 2023 as part of a broader climate agenda.

Interior Secretary Doug Burgum said the decision aligns with President Trump’s directive to unlock Alaska’s energy potential, create jobs, and strengthen U.S. energy security. The announcement comes weeks after the administration also approved new offshore oil drilling leases off the coasts of California, Florida, and Alaska.

Burgum also signed an order titled “Unleashing American Offshore Energy,” directing the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management to consider selling up to 34 leases off Alaska’s coast, seven in the Gulf near Florida, and six along the California coast.

Congress originally established the reserve—formerly known as Naval Petroleum Reserve No. 4—as a strategic energy source to support military needs during wartime. Legislation passed in 1976 granted the Interior Department authority over oil and gas leasing and development in the area.

“The plan approved today gives us a clear framework and needed certainty to harness the incredible potential of the reserve,” said Kevin Pendergast, BLM’s Alaska State Director.

Rep. Nick Begich (R-Alaska) welcomed the announcement, calling it “great news.”

“In Congress, we are working closely with the administration to deliver results for Alaska and restore Alaska’s role as a strategic domestic energy powerhouse,” Begich said in a post on X.

BLM said it completed an environmental study to assess new information since 2020 and consulted with tribes and Alaska Native corporations during the process. The agency also held a 14-day public comment period.

During that period, more than 300,000 people—including members of Indigenous communities—opposed the administration’s decision to overturn protections covering about 13 million acres of the reserve.

“We are extremely disheartened that the Trump administration announced it will take away protections for our lands in the Western Arctic,” said Rosemary Ahtuangaruak, executive director of Grandmothers Growing Goodness.