The Biden administration is seeking input on a possible expansion of areas protected from oil and gas development in the western Arctic, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) announced Friday.
The proposed protections could expand the area of the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska (NPR-A) that is restricted from development or identify new protected areas within existing ones. During the 60-day comment period, the Department of Environmental Protection will also consult with tribal communities in affected areas.
“As our climate rapidly changes, special areas are increasingly important to caribou migration and herd health, as well as other wildlife, migratory birds and native plants,” BLM Director Tracy Stone Manning said in a statement. “We want to hear from the public to ensure we are managing the important resource values of the Western Arctic in the right way and in the right places.”
The move was praised by environmental activists.
“If enacted, these proposed protections would be a historic step toward the long-term protection of America’s Arctic,” said Ahsan Manuel, director of the Sierra Club’s Land Conservation Program. “From revoking oil and gas drilling concessions in the Arctic Refuge to strengthening protections for 13 million acres in the Western Arctic, the Biden Administration has made great strides in protecting these landscapes and the communities and wildlife that depend on them.”
“The Arctic is on the frontline of climate change,” Manuel added. “President Biden is committed to putting the Arctic at the forefront of climate action.”
The announcement follows the publication of a final rule in April protecting more than 13 million acres already protected under NPR-A.
In late June, the administration also blocked approval of the controversial Ambler Road, which would have led to a proposed mine in an area known for its cobalt and copper deposits. Around the same time, the administration also indicated it would not open approximately 28 million acres of protected land in the region to mining development.
