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Interior takes bold steps in AK incl. re-open 1002 Area to drilling
Kay Cashman Petroleum News
During an Oct. 23 event with Alaska's governor and congressional delegation, the Department of the Interior announced a package of actions to boost energy development, modernize land and resource management across Alaska, and improve public health and safety for Alaskans.
These steps include reopening a tiny strip of the northern coast of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, or ANWR, to oil and gas drilling. The tiny strip involves about 1.5 million acres, leaving approximately17.5 million acres of ANWR off-limits to any kind of drilling.
Other actions include completing right-of-way permits for the Ambler Road, moving forward with the King Cove--Cold Bay Road corridor through a land exchange, and providing land allotments for eligible Alaska Native Vietnam-era veterans.
According to Interior, together these actions reduce regulatory barriers, support local communities, and strengthen Alaska's role in national energy security and economic growth.
"From day one, President Trump directed us to unlock Alaska's energy and resource potential while honoring commitments to the state and local communities," Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum was quoted as saying in an Oct. 23 press release.
"By reopening the coastal plain and advancing key infrastructure, we are strengthening energy independence, creating jobs and supporting Alaska's communities while driving economic growth across the state," he said.
The coastal plain of Alaska, Interior said, holds some of the most promising untapped energy resources in the United States and plays a critical role in strengthening national energy security.
The Department has issued a new record of decision re-opening 1.56 million acres of the coastal plain to oil and gas leasing --reversing the previous administration's 2024 plan that restricted development to the statutory minimum. This action fulfills the direction of Executive Order 14153, Secretarial Order 3422, the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act and the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.
Interior is also restoring leases to the Alaska Industrial Development and Export Authority, allowing development to move forward. The leases were cancelled by the previous administration in a decision later overturned by the courts.
Additionally, the Bureau of Land Management published a call for nominations to solicit feedback on what tracts should be made available in an oil and gas lease sale within the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska this coming winter. The lease sale, which is directed by the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, will mark the first in the 23-million-acre petroleum reserve since 2019.
Ambler Road Following President Trump's approval of the appeal filed by the Alaska Industrial Development and Export Authority, the Bureau of Land Management and the National Park Service have reissued the necessary right of way permits for the establishment of the Ambler Road Project. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers permit has also been reissued.
Additionally, the Department of the Interior has conveyed nearly 23,600 acres near Ambler to the State of Alaska, completing the state's selections in the area and advancing local control over land use and resource development and supporting local decision-making and economic growth.
Izembek and King Cove land exchange For nearly 50 years, the community of King Cove, Alaska has advocated for a life-saving road to connect King Cove to the Cold Bay airport to address their critical public health and safety needs. Pursuant to the land exchange agreement and accompanying decision document, signed by the Department of the Interior, an official patent was issued to the King Corporation conveying lands from within Izembek National Wildlife Refuge.
The exchange advances a decades-long effort to provide reliable access to emergency medical care for King Cove residents while increasing subsistence access and the number of wilderness acres to protect important wildlife and habitat in the region.
Land allotments for Alaskan Vietnam veterans The Department of the Interior is highlighting opportunities for eligible Alaska Native Vietnam-era veterans to apply for up to 160 acres of federal land they were unable to claim while serving their country.
During the Oct. 23 event, the Bureau of Land Management issued three Certificates of Allotment under the Alaska Native Vietnam-era Veterans Land Allotment Program, awarding 160 acres each to three deserving Alaska Native veterans of the Vietnam war.
Established under the 2019 Dingell Act, the program allows eligible Alaska Native veterans who served between 1964 and 1971 to claim federal land without proof of prior occupancy. Applications remain open until Dec. 29, 2025.
In a separate press release on Oct. 23 from the Alaska Governor's Office, Governor Mike Dunleavy was quoted as saying, "Today's announcements are historic for Alaska. President Trump and his administration are delivering on promises made to Alaska. The land transfer for the King Cove Road will save lives, economic opportunities will be unlocked in the Ambler Mining District and ANWR's coastal plain, and Alaska Native Vietnam-era veterans will finally receive land allotments they were promised."
-KAY CASHMAN
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