The Biden Administration announced it will hold a congressionally mandated lease sale in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge’s 1002 Area, which was an area set aside in law for oil and gas. The sale is required by the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, which was passed by Congress and signed into law by President Donald Trump.
But the Interior Department, after canceling all of the lawfully allowed leases to date, has actually shut down all but one quarter of the 1002 area. The department will auction just 400,000 acres, which is the minimum required by the 2017 law, that mandated the department conduct two sales before the end of 2024.
During the Donald Trump Administration, there were nine leases issued, but the Biden Administration came into office and the president immediately suspended all nine in 2021.
Sen. Dan Sullivan said the Biden Administration is acting illegally: “But the most insulting aspect of BLM’s announcement today is the agency’s claim to have ‘consulted with Alaska Native Tribes and Corporations’ on this Record of Decision. Having spoken with the leaders of these entities, I can report that nothing is further from the truth. The Biden-Harris administration has never given any weight to the voices of the Alaska Native people in the region who strongly support responsible resource development in ANWR for the benefit of their communities—just like the Biden-Harris administration refused to even meet with Alaska Native leaders when promulgating their illegal NPR-A rule. Cancelling Alaska Native voices continues under the Biden-Harris administration, but don’t hold your breath for the mainstream media to write that story. The good news is we will soon be working with the Trump administration which, unlike Biden-Harris, has a proven traNickck record of responsible oil and gas production and Alaska resource development, and respects the voices of the Iñupiat people of the North Slope.”
Gov. Mike Dunleavy was equally miffed at the end run by the Biden Administration: “The Biden administration has cloaked its latest sanction on Alaska as a lease sale in ANWR. The truth is this lease sale is designed to fail. It limits exploration to the largest extent possible while trying to pass it off as following the law passed by Congress to offer leases that have a legitimate chance of success. The upside here is that in a matter of weeks the Trump administration will come into office and prioritize safe oil and gas development that provides stable and secure energy. Alaska’s four yearlong nightmare ends January 20th.”
Sen. Lisa Murkowski did not offer her thoughts on the matter, offered thoughts on Tuesday afternoon in a statement: “For the past four years, Interior has done everything it can think of to undermine responsible development on the Coastal Plain, ignoring federal law and those who actually live on the North Slope to upend the reasonable program the Trump administration put in place in 2020. The ROD does not reflect statutory requirements, the preferences of most local residents, or the needs of our nation, but it’s a fitting finale for an administration that has routinely allowed Iran, Venezuela, and other adversaries to produce their resources, regardless of the consequences, while attempting to shut everything down in Alaska.”
Rep. Mary Peltola said nothing.
The Biden Administration is moving with legally questionable steps to hogtie the leases, as it has from Day One of the administration. For the Trump Administration to start over, it could take years to set up a lease framework for what would be an economically viable investment for companies.
