Trump Opens Alaska to Resource Development
President Donald Trump has swiftly moved to reshape resource development in Alaska with a sweeping executive order aimed at boosting oil and gas drilling, mining, and logging in the state, The Associated Press reports.
The move, enacted on his first day in office, has been met with enthusiasm from Alaska’s political leadership, who see it as a vital step for the state’s economy, and strong opposition from environmental groups, who warn of its devastating impacts on the climate.
The executive order aligns with a wish list submitted by Republican Governor Mike Dunleavy shortly after Trump’s election. It targets several key areas, including opening up the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to oil and gas exploration, a move fiercely opposed by the Indigenous Gwich’in who consider the area sacred. The order also seeks to roll back restrictions imposed by the Biden administration on drilling in the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska and reverse limits on logging and road construction in Alaska’s temperate rainforests.
Specifically, the order targets Biden’s cancellation of seven leases issued for oil and gas drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Despite a 2021 lease sale, where major oil companies did not participate and leases were obtained by a state corporation and smaller companies which subsequently relinquished them, Trump’s administration intends to initiate additional leasing. This directly contradicts the wishes of the Gwich’in people, who are heavily reliant on the caribou population that utilizes the coastal plain.
While the Iñupiaq community of Kaktovik, located within the refuge, supports drilling, they expressed frustration with the previous Biden administration and are hopeful their voice will be heard now. This comes after a second lease sale mandated by a 2017 federal law resulted in no bids and led to the state suing the Interior Department, claiming the terms were too restrictive.
Alaska political leaders, including Senator Dan Sullivan, expressed their excitement and support for the move. They argue that the development of Alaska’s resources is critical for the state’s future and that federal overreach has hampered efforts to further develop oil, gas, and minerals.
However, environmental advocates warn that Trump’s policies will have severe long-term consequences.
