Trump Admin Reopens Alaska Wildlife Refuge for Oil, Gas Leasing

The Interior Department said it will restore oil and gas leases previously canceled for the Alaska Industrial Development and Export Authority.

This undated photo shows the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service/Getty Images

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.