Biden administration seeks feedback on potential new Arctic drilling protections

The Biden administration is seeking comment on potential expansion of areas protected from oil and gas development in the western Arctic, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) announced Friday.

The protections, if implemented, could expand the area of the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska (NPR-A), which has been restricted from development, or identify new protections in the existing protected area. During the 60-day comment period, the Bureau will also consult with tribal communities in the affected areas.

“With the rapidly changing climate, the Special Areas are increasingly critical to caribou movement and herd health, as well as other wildlife, migratory birds, and native plants,” BLM Director Tracey Stone-Manning said in a statement. “We want to hear from the public to ensure we are managing the western Arctic’s significant resource values in the right ways and right places.”

The move won plaudits from environmental advocates.

“If enacted, these proposed protections would be another historic move towards long-term preservation of America’s Arctic,” said Athan Manuel, director of Sierra Club’s Lands Protection Program. “From canceling oil and gas leases in the Arctic Refuge to boosting protections for 13 million acres in the Western Arctic, the Biden administration has made significant progress in safeguarding these landscapes and the communities and wildlife that rely on them.”

“The Arctic is at the frontline of climate change,” Manuel added. “President Biden is making it the frontline of climate action.”

The announcement follows the April publication of a final rule on protections for over 13 million acres of already protected areas in the NPR-A.

In late June, the administration also blocked approval for the controversial proposed Ambler Road, which would have led to a proposed mine in an area known for cobalt and copper deposits. Around the same time, the administration also indicated it would not open up some 28 million acres of protected lands in the area to mining.