Protections lifted on 13 million acres in Western Arctic, drilling could expand

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) — The U.S. Department of the Interior announced Thursday it has rescinded a 2024 rule that placed additional environmental protections on parts of the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska, a move federal officials say will help unlock energy potential across more than 13 million acres of the North Slope.

“By rescinding the 2024 rule, we are following the direction set by President Trump to unlock Alaska’s energy potential, create jobs for North Slope communities and strengthen American energy security,” said Interior Secretary Doug Burgum.

The department said rescinding the rule restores “common-sense management” and allows the Bureau of Land Management to refocus on domestic energy production.

The 2024 rule, finalized in May after a lengthy public process, placed restrictions on oil and gas development within Special Areas of the Western Arctic, which include Teshekpuk Lake, Kasegaluk Lagoon, Utukok River Uplands, Colville River and Pearce Bay.

Those in favor of the rule say the areas provide important wildlife habitat and support subsistence activities for local communities.

Interior officials said the new rule will be published Monday in the Federal Register. The agency described the change as part of a broader effort to streamline resource policy in Alaska and reduce regulatory burdens.

Conservation groups sharply criticize rollback

The Wilderness Society, a non-profit environmental conservation organization, said the reversal eliminates necessary protections for high-value habitats in the Western Arctic.

In a statement, Alaska Senior Manager Matt Jackson said removing safeguards for clean air, water and wildlife is “attacking Alaskans’ freedom to live off the land now and for generations to come.”

“The management rule that Secretary Burgum has is rescinding was based on science, public input and the balanced interests of communities in the Western Arctic, where people depend on healthy lands and waters to feed their families,” Jackson said.

Earthjustice, an environmental law organization that also opposed the decision, said its supporters submitted nearly 55,000 comments against the repeal during the 60-day public process.

Earthjustice said when the rule first came out, more than 250,000 people voiced support for the protections.

Attorney Erik Grafe said the move, “would sweep aside common-sense regulations aimed at more responsibly managing the Western Arctic’s irreplaceable lands and wildlife for future generations. It rewinds the clock to regulations last updated in 1977. This is no way to secure our future.”

Both groups said the Western Arctic’s Special Areas hold critical ecological and cultural significance and already face growing stress from climate change.

Interior cites economic potential

Interior officials said the rollback will allow oil and gas companies to pursue development opportunities while still maintaining responsible environmental oversight.

The department said the prior rule placed unnecessary limits on economic activity and duplicated federal protections already in place.

The department emphasized its intention to support domestic energy production and reduce reliance on foreign oil, saying the 2024 restrictions threatened to interfere with the administration’s broader energy goals.

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