Biden Administration Enacts Major Protections for 28 Million Acres in Alaska

New measures halt Ambler Road project and restrict oil, gas, and mining activities to safeguard native communities and ecosystems.

The Interior Department finalized its decision to block the 211-mile Ambler Road project intended for mining development.
Protections are reinstated for 28 million acres of Alaska lands, reversing a late-term Trump administration effort to lift them.
The measures align with Biden's goal to conserve 30% of U.S. lands and waters, aiming to protect subsistence hunting and fishing.
Environmental analyses indicated that development would harm wildlife and subsistence resources for numerous native communities.
The decision has sparked legal and political challenges, with local lawmakers and companies exploring ways to overturn it.