Overview
- The Interior Department finalized a decision to open ANWR’s 1.56 million‑acre coastal plain to oil and gas leasing, reversing Biden-era limits.
- Seven state-held leases canceled in 2023 were reinstated for the Alaska Industrial Development and Export Authority after a federal court order.
- Officials said they plan to auction drilling rights in ANWR this winter, and BLM opened a call for nominations for a National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska lease sale, the first since 2019.
- Permits and approvals were issued or advanced for the 211‑mile Ambler mining road and for a land exchange enabling the King Cove–Cold Bay road through the Izembek refuge.
- Environmental groups and many tribal leaders vowed court challenges, while some Alaska Native leaders, including in Kaktovik and King Cove, backed the moves for jobs and access; industry interest remains uncertain after past weak bidding.