President Biden decided last Wednesday to protect more than 10 million acres of Alaska’s North Slope from development. Prohibiting oil drilling across vast areas revoking leases by President Donald Trump in the renowned Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.
Biden Saving the Wildlife
Following the Willow judgment, almost half of Alaska’s National Petroleum Reserve would be prohibited from such development with oil leases terminated in a renowned wildlife refuge.
The state is full of “breathtaking natural wonders” that need protection, Biden said
The conservation effort encompasses about half of the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska, the country’s biggest tract of public land and home to a variety of delicate Arctic animals, including caribou and shorebirds. It would prohibit oil and gas production on 10.6 million acres of the reserve but would not prevent ConocoPhillips’ Willow Project. Biden approved it earlier this year and is expected to generate 576 million barrels of oil over the next three decades.
Separately, Interior Secretary Deb Haaland is terminating all seven remaining licenses granted by the President Donald Trump administration for oil development in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, located in the state’s northeast portion. Drilling had been prohibited in the refuge, which is one of the country’s most pristine natural places, for decades until Congress authorized lease sales in 2017. As a candidate, Biden promised to repeal the leases as part of his comprehensive climate plan.
“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,” Biden said.
They would assure long-term safeguards for places that provide crucial animal habitats. According to the president of the conservation group, the federal government hasn’t set aside this many acres of land since the early 2000s.
However, environmentalists did not unanimously endorse the changes. Biden has struggled to appease climate activists, particularly anti-oil campaigners enraged by his administration’s official support of Willow.
Alaska’s Development
Friends of the Earth said late Wednesday that the fresh announcements were “a half-measure.” “Small measures like the ones proposed by the Department of Interior will not erase President Biden’s incredibly disappointing climate record in terms of oil and gas leasing,” said Raena Garcia, the organization’s senior public lands and fossil fuels campaigner. “If the Administration is truly committed to protecting our people and the planet, it will stop climate-destroying projects like Willow.”
Drilling in Alaska has hindered Biden’s efforts to pass robust climate-change mitigation measures. According to oil supporters and industry analysts, some sections of NPR-A have some of the richest oil deposits in the country. Alaskan legislators have urged development as a significant source of employment and income. But Biden spoke out on the promise of “no more drilling on federal lands.”
Alaska Oil and Gas Association President Kara Moriarty said in an email that the new Biden policies will make the United States more reliant on foreign oil, which could produce more planet-warming emissions than oil extracted in Alaska.
“The constant blast of government changes tells investors that Alaska is not a good place to do business,” Moriarty said. This “makes no sense because Alaska has high environmental standards and some of the lowest emissions in the country.”
But he announced that decision along with a plan to give “maximum protection,” a status authorized by Congress, for another 13 million acres in the reserve. Wednesday’s move makes that plan an official proposal, including requirements for environmental mitigation for 2.4 million acres where oil leasing can still happen there, and the ban on oil and gas leasing for the rest of it.
Oil Management Plan
The plan also calls for five-year evaluations and public engagement to enlarge or designate new special areas for protection. The Interior Department’s Bureau of Land Management will hold public hearings and accept public feedback for 60 days before issuing a final rule.
On the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge topic, Haaland said the lease sale under Trump was flawed, “based on a number of fundamental, legal deficiencies.” The Bureau of Land Management and the Fish and Wildlife Service have drafted a new analysis under Biden supporting that conclusion, administration officials said.
Written by Angelika Cano
Sources:
CNN News: Biden administration cancels years-long attempt to drill in Alaska National Wildlife Refuge
The Washington Post: Biden to block oil drilling in ‘irreplaceable’ Alaskan wildlands
The Wall Street Journal: Biden Administration Moves to Block Oil Drilling on Millions of Acres of Alaskan Wilderness
Top and Featured Image Courtesy of Frank Camp Flickr Page – Creative Commons License
First Inset Image Courtesy of Pedro Szekely’s Flickr Page – Creative Commons License
