The US Department of the Interior announced on Thursday (November 13) that it has issued a final rule to revoke the development restrictions imposed on the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska (NPRA) by the Biden administration in 2024, thereby restoring oil and gas drilling in millions of acres of the Arctic region.
According to the Department of the Interior, this move is an important step in unlocking the energy potential of the approximately 23 million-acre reserve, aligning with former President Trump’s goal of easing domestic oil and gas development restrictions and helping reduce reliance on foreign oil.
Interior Secretary Doug Burgum stated in a release: “By revoking the 2024 rule, we are following President Trump’s direction to unleash Alaska’s energy potential, create job opportunities for North Slope communities, and strengthen America’s energy security.”
“This action restores common-sense management and ensures responsible development that benefits Alaska and the nation,” he added.
The reserve was originally established by former President Warren G. Harding in 1923 as an emergency fuel supply for the Navy, with an estimated 8.7 billion barrels of recoverable crude oil. In recent years, whether commercial development should be allowed in this area has been a contentious issue among political parties.
In 2024, due to environmental concerns, the Biden administration prohibited oil and gas leasing on 10.6 million acres of land within the NPRA, and imposed restrictions on an additional over two million acres. The area is a critical habitat for migratory birds and caribou, and Alaska Natives in the region rely on these resources for subsistence hunting. Additionally, threatened polar bears also inhabit the area.
Regarding the decision to lift development restrictions, Matt Jackson, senior manager for Alaska at The Wilderness Society, stated, “The regulations being revoked by the Department of the Interior were established based on science and public input.”
“Destroying these protections, opening up some of the most pristine landscapes to benefit large oil companies, this government is infringing on the freedom of Alaskans now and for generations to come, who ‘live off the land’,” Jackson mentioned.
However, some local groups have a positive stance on the relaxation of restrictions.
The Voice of the Arctic Inupiat, an Alaska Native organization, expressed support for lifting the restrictions, believing that drilling-related infrastructure can increase local tax revenue and assist in providing public services such as healthcare and education.
The group stated that the 2024 rules were formulated without adequate consultation with local residents, leading them to file a lawsuit against the regulations.
Mary Bordeaux, Chair of the Native Village of Atqasuk located within the reserve, said, “The Department of the Interior’s decision today will help strengthen communities on the North Slope and advance Atqasuk’s self-determination.”
“Atqasuk has guarded our home in the NPRA for over ten thousand years,” she said, “Our land – and the ability for local voices to shape the long-term policies influencing these lands – is crucial for our economy and the Inupiat culture.”
The Department of the Interior mentioned that revoking the 2024 rule will help reduce regulatory burdens. In the future, the Bureau of Land Management will manage the reserve in accordance with the new rules set in 2025, which align with the management framework established in 1977.
This final rule is expected to be published in the Federal Register on November 17, 2025.