US Finalizes ANWR Oil and Mining Leases

The Trump administration finalized a plan to open 1.56 million acres of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge coastal plain to oil and gas leasing, reversing Biden-era protections, Interior Secretary Doug Burgum announced. The decision clears the way for upcoming lease sales — including a planned winter sale in the nearby National Petroleum Reserve — and implements language in recent GOP legislation calling for multiple lease rounds over the next decade. The department reinstated previously canceled leases and approved controversial infrastructure projects such as the Ambler Road and Izembek Road, measures supporters say will enable resource development, mining and access to remote communities. Alaska officials say the actions will create jobs, strengthen energy security and unlock minerals including copper, cobalt and zinc, while environmental groups, the Gwich’in and many Indigenous communities warn the moves threaten polar bears, caribou, migratory birds, sacred lands and subsistence ways of life. Observers note industry hesitancy — including past lease rounds with no bidders — ongoing legal challenges and reluctance from insurers and banks, highlighting economic and reputational risks despite the administration’s push.