Alaska And ‘Drill Baby, Drill’ Among Trump’s Day One To Do List (Updating)

anuary 20, 2025 was indeed a wild second Inauguration Day for now second-term President Donald Trump. Among many executive orders Trump signed on Monday was a lengthy proclamation to cut off a series of Joe Biden administration projections and mandates for drilling and mining in the Last Frontier.

Here’s the complete legislation for Alaska, which includes plans for drilling for natural gas deposits within Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, not to mention keeping the door open for the Ambler Road project to be back on the table and overturning hunting restrictions on federal lands.

By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, it is hereby ordered: 

Section 1.  Background. The State of Alaska holds an abundant and largely untapped supply of natural resources including, among others, energy, mineral, timber, and seafood. Unlocking this bounty of natural wealth will raise the prosperity of our citizens while helping to enhance our Nation’s economic and national security for generations to come.  By developing these resources to the fullest extent possible, we can help deliver price relief for Americans, create high-quality jobs for our citizens, ameliorate our trade imbalances, augment the Nation’s exercise of global energy dominance, and guard against foreign powers weaponizing energy supplies in theaters of geopolitical conflict.

Unleashing this opportunity, however, requires an immediate end to the assault on Alaska’s sovereignty and its ability to responsibly develop these resources for the benefit of the Nation.  It is, therefore, imperative to immediately reverse the punitive restrictions implemented by the previous administration that specifically target resource development on both State and Federal lands in Alaska.  

Sec. 2.  Policy.  It is the policy of the United States to:

(a)  fully avail itself of Alaska’s vast lands and resources for the benefit of the Nation and the American citizens who call Alaska home;

(b)  efficiently and effectively maximize the development and production of the natural resources located on both Federal and State lands within Alaska;

(c)  expedite the permitting and leasing of energy and natural resource projects in Alaska; and

(d)  prioritize the development of Alaska’s liquified natural gas (LNG) potential, including the sale and transportation of Alaskan LNG to other regions of the United States and allied nations within the Pacific region.

Sec. 3.  Specific Agency Actions.  (a)  The heads of all executive departments and agencies, including but not limited to the Secretary of the Interior; the Secretary of Commerce, acting through the Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere; and the Secretary of the Army acting through the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Public Works, shall exercise all lawful authority and discretion available to them and take all necessary steps to:

(i)   rescind, revoke, revise, amend, defer, or grant exemptions from any and all regulations, orders, guidance documents, policies, and any other similar agency actions that are inconsistent with the policy set forth in section 2 of this order, including but not limited to agency actions promulgated, issued, or adopted between January 20, 2021, and January 20, 2025; and

(ii)  prioritize the development of Alaska’s LNG potential, including the permitting of all necessary pipeline and export infrastructure related to the Alaska LNG Project, giving due consideration to the economic and national security benefits associated with such development.

(b)  In addition to the actions outlined in subsection (a) of this section, the Secretary of the Interior shall exercise all lawful authority and discretion available to him and take all necessary steps to:

(i)       withdraw Secretarial Order 3401 dated June 1, 2021 (Comprehensive Analysis and Temporary Halt on All Activities in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge Relating to the Coastal Plain Oil and Gas Leasing Program);

(ii)      rescind the cancellation of any leases within the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, other than such lease cancellations as the Secretary of the Interior determines are consistent with the policy interests described in section 2 of this order, initiate additional leasing through the Coastal Plain Oil and Gas Leasing Program, and issue all permits, right-of-way permits, and easements necessary for the exploration, development, and production of oil and gas from leases within the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge;

(iii)     rescind the final supplemental environmental impact statement entitled “Coastal Plain Oil and Gas Leasing Program Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement,” which is referred to in “Notice of Availability of the Final Coastal Plain Oil and Gas Leasing Program Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement, Alaska” 89 Fed. Reg. 88805 (November 8, 2024);

(iv)      place a temporary moratorium on all activities and privileges granted to any party pursuant to the record of decision signed on December 8, 2024, entitled “Coastal Plain Oil and Gas Leasing Program Record of Decision,” which is referred to in “Notice of Availability of the Record of Decision for the Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement for the Coastal Plain Oil and Gas Leasing Program, Alaska,” 89 Fed. Reg. 101042 (December 13, 2024), in order to review such record of decision in light of alleged legal deficiencies and for consideration of relevant public interests, and, as appropriate, conduct a new, comprehensive analysis of such deficiencies, interests, and environmental impacts;

(v)       reinstate the final environmental impact statement entitled “Final Environmental Impact Statement for the Coastal Plain Oil and Gas Leasing Program,” which is referred to in “Notice of Availability,” 84 Fed. Reg. 50472 (September 25, 2019);

(vi)       reinstate the record of decision signed on August 21, 2020, entitled “Coastal Plain Oil and Gas Leasing Program Record of Decision,” which is referred to in “Notice of 2021 Coastal Plain Alaska Oil and Gas Lease Sale and Notice of Availability of the Detailed Statement of Sale,” 85 Fed. Reg. 78865 (December 7, 2020);

(vii)     evaluate changes to, including the potential recission of, Public Land Order 5150, signed by the Assistant Secretary of the Interior on December 28, 1971, and any subsequent amendments, modifications, or corrections to it;

(viii)    place a temporary moratorium on all activities and privileges granted to any party pursuant to the record of decision signed on June 27, 2024, entitled “Ambler Road Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement Record of Decision,” which is referred to in “Notice of Availability of the Ambler Road Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement, Alaska,” 89 Fed. Reg. 32458 (April 26, 2024),  in order to review such record of decision in light of alleged legal deficiencies and for consideration of relevant public interests and, as appropriate, conduct a new, comprehensive analysis of such deficiencies, interests, and environmental impacts; and reinstate the record of decision signed on July 23, 2020, by the Bureau of Land Management and United States Army Corps of Engineers entitled “Ambler Road Environmental Impact Statement Joint Record of Decision,” which is referred to in “Notice of Availability of the Record of Decision for the Ambler Mining District Industrial Access Road Environmental Impact Statement,” 85 Fed. Reg. 45440 (July 28, 2020);

(ix)      rescind the Bureau of Land Management final rule entitled “Management and Protection of the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska,” 89 Fed. Reg. 38712 (May 7, 2024);

(x)        rescind any guidance issued by the Bureau of Land Management related to implementation of protection of subsistence resource values in the existing special areas and proposed new and modified special areas in the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska, as published on their website on January 16, 2025;

(xi)      facilitate the expedited development of a road corridor between the community of King Cove and the all-weather airport located in Cold Bay;

(xii)    place a temporary moratorium on all activities and privileges granted to any party pursuant to the record of decision signed on April 25, 2022, entitled “National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska Integrated Activity Plan Record of Decision,” (NEPA No. DOI-BLM-AK-R000-2019-0001-EIS), in order to review such record of decision in light of alleged legal deficiencies and for consideration of relevant public interests and, as appropriate, conduct a new, comprehensive analysis of such deficiencies, interests, and environmental impacts;

(xiii)   rescind the Bureau of Land Management final rule entitled “Management and Protection of the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska,” 89 Fed. Reg. 38712 (May 7, 2024), and rescind the Bureau of Land Management notice entitled “Special Areas Within the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska,” 89 Fed. Reg. 58181 (July 17, 2024);

(xiv)    reinstate Secretarial Order 3352 dated May 17, 2017 (National Petroleum Reserve – Alaska), which is referred to in “Final Report:  Review of the Department of the Interior Actions that Potentially Burden Domestic Energy,” 82 Fed. Reg. 50532 (November 1, 2017), and the record of decision signed on December 31, 2020, entitled “National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska Integrated Activity Plan Record of Decision,” which is referred to in “Notice of Availability of the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska Integrated Activity Plan Final Environmental Impact Statement,” 85 Fed. Reg. 38388 (June 26, 2020);

(xv)     reinstate the following Public Land Orders in their original form:

  1. Public Land Order No. 7899, signed by the Secretary of the Interior on January 11, 2021;
    1.   Public Land Order No. 7900, signed by the Secretary of the Interior on January 16, 2021;
    2.   Public Land Order No. 7901, signed by the Secretary of the Interior on January 16, 2021;
    3.   Public Land Order No. 7902, signed by the Secretary of the Interior on January 15, 2021;
    4.   Public Land Order No. 7903, signed by the Secretary of the Interior on January 16, 2021; and
    5.   any other such Public Land Order that the Secretary of the Interior determines would further the policy interests described in section 2 of this order.

(xvi)    immediately review all Department of the Interior guidance regarding the taking of Alaska Native lands into trust and all Public Land Orders withdrawing lands for selection by Alaska Native Corporations to determine if any such agency action should be revoked to ensure the Department of the Interior’s actions are consistent with the Alaska Statehood Act of 1958 (Public Law 85-508), the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act (ANILCA) (16 U.S.C. 3101 et seq.), the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act of 1971 (43 U.S.C. 1601, et seq.), the Alaska Land Transfer Acceleration Act (Public Law 108-452), and the Alaska Native Vietnam-era Veterans Land Allotment Program under section 1629g-1 of title 43, United States Code.

(xvii)   rescind the record of decision “Central Yukon Record of Decision and Approved Resource Management Plan,” signed on November 12, 2024, which is referred to in “Notice of Availability of the Record of Decision and Approved Resource Management Plan for the Central Yukon Resource Management Plan/Environmental Impact Statement, Alaska,” 89 Fed. Reg. 92716 (November 22, 2024);

(xviii)  reimplement the draft resource management plan and environmental impact statement referenced in the National Park Service notice entitled “Notice of Availability for the Central Yukon Draft Resource Management Plan/Environmental Impact Statement, Alaska,” 85 Fed. Reg. 80143 (December 11, 2020);

(xix)    rescind the National Park Service final rule entitled “Alaska; Hunting and Trapping in National Preserves,” 89 Fed. Reg. 55059 (July 3, 2024), and reinstate the National Park Service final rule entitled “Alaska; Hunting and Trapping in National Preserves,” 85 Fed. Reg. 35181 (June 9, 2020), in its original form;

(xx)     deny the pending request to the United States Fish and Wildlife Service to an establish indigenous sacred site in the Coastal Plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge;

(xxi)    immediately conduct a review of waterways in the State of Alaska and direct the Bureau of Land Management, in consultation with the State of Alaska, to provide recommendations of navigable waterways subject to the equal footing doctrine and the Submerged Lands Act of 1953, as amended, 43 U.S.C. 1301 et seq., and prepare Recordable Disclaimers of Interest pursuant to section 315 of the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976, 43 U.S.C. 1745, to restore ownership of said waterways to the State as appropriate;

(xxii)   direct all bureaus of the Department of the Interior to consider the Alaskan cultural significance of hunting and fishing and the statutory priority of subsistence management required by the ANILCA, to conduct meaningful consultation with the State fish and wildlife management agencies prior to enacting land management plans or other regulations that affect the ability of Alaskans to hunt and fish on public lands, and to ensure to the greatest extent possible that hunting and fishing opportunities on Federal lands are consistent with similar opportunities on State lands; and

(xxiii)  identify and assess, in collaboration with the Secretary of Defense, the authorities and public and private resources necessary to immediately achieve the development and export of energy resources from Alaska — including but not limited to the long-term viability of the Trans-Alaska Pipeline System and the associated Federal right-of-way as an energy corridor of critical national importance — to advance the Nation’s domestic and regional energy dominance, and submit that assessment to the President.

(c)  In addition to the actions outlined in subsection (a) of this section, the Secretary of Agriculture shall place a temporary moratorium on all activities and privileges authorized by the final rule and record of decision entitled  “Special Areas; Roadless Area Conservation; National Forest System Lands in Alaska,” 88 Fed. Reg. 5252 (January 27, 2023), in order to review such rule and record of decision in light of alleged legal deficiencies and for consideration of relevant public interests and, as appropriate, conduct a new, comprehensive analysis of such deficiencies, interests, and environmental impacts.  Further, the Secretary of Agriculture shall reinstate the final rule entitled “Special Areas; Roadless Area Conservation; National Forest System Lands in Alaska,” 85 Fed. Reg. 68688 (October 29, 2020).

(d)  In addition to the actions outlined in subsection (a) of this section, the Secretary of the Army, acting through the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works, shall render all assistance requested by the Governor of Alaska to facilitate the clearing and maintenance of transportation infrastructure, consistent with applicable law.  All such requests for assistance shall be transmitted to the Secretary of Defense, Secretary of the Interior, and Assistant to the President for Economic Policy for approval prior to initiation.

(e)  The Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works, under the direction of the Secretary of the Army, shall immediately review, revise, or rescind any agency action that may in any way hinder, slow or otherwise delay any critical project in the State of Alaska.

(f)  The Secretary of Commerce, in coordination with the Secretary of the Interior, shall immediately review, revise or rescind any agency action that may in any way hinder, slow or otherwise delay any critical project in the State of Alaska.

Sec. 4.  General Provisions.  (a)  Nothing in this order shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect:

(i)   the authority granted by law to an executive department or agency, or the head thereof; or

(ii)  the functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals.

(b)  This order shall be implemented consistent with applicable law and subject to the availability of appropriations.

(c)  This order is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person.

THE WHITE HOUSE,

    January 20, 2025

Here are some more details from Alaska’s News Source:

A big part of Trump’s plan to put America first includes harnessing and relying on U.S. energy and resources, much of which resides in Alaska. On Monday evening, Trump signed the executive order, thus reversing the Biden-era decision that restricted oil and gas extraction within the state. 

The order, titled “Unleashing Alaska’s Extraordinary Resource Potential” aims to release a variety of resources. These include prioritizing the progress of the Alaska Liquefied Natural Gas Project, lifting protections for Alaska’s public lands, and restoring the canceled oil and gas leases in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.

“I will direct all members of my cabinet to marshal the vast powers at their disposal to defeat what was record inflation and rapidly bring down costs and prices,” Trump said during the nearly 30-minute speech.

“The inflation crisis was caused by massive overspending and escalating energy prices and that is why today I will also declare a national energy emergency. We will drill, baby, drill.”

Among the early reaction to the Alaska news was this statement from Cooper Freeman of the Center for Biological Diversity:

“I’m disgusted but not surprised that Trump just directed the federal government to do everything in its power to plunder Alaska, which would turn our country’s last truly vast, intact wildlands into garbage dumps,” said Cooper Freeman, Alaska director at the Center for Biological Diversity. “Alaska’s remarkable public lands have some of the planet’s most robust salmon runs, caribou herds and old-growth forests remaining. These ecosystems are far more valuable whole than pillaged for oil and gas development, mining, and clear-cutting. We aren’t afraid to take on Trump and his bravado and we’ll be fighting to keep Alaska great every step of the way.”

From Earthjustice:

Earthjustice will continue to work with clients and partners to protect Alaska’s public lands and hasten the clean energy transition to build a vibrant and thriving state

ANCHORAGE, ALASKA (DENA’INA LANDS) —  As expected, in addition to dozens of other executive orders on wide ranging topics, President Trump’s administration issued several orders today detailing a destructive agenda for Alaska and its communities. The orders are aimed at dismantling public land protections and other critical environmental safeguards to increase fossil fuel drilling, logging, mining, roadbuilding and other extractive ventures throughout Alaska.

The Trump administration’s policy wish list for Alaska was delivered in an Alaska-specific executive order, as requested by Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy, and embedded in other executive orders, including one that repealed more than 78 orders issued by Biden administration. The goal of the Trump administration is to undo as many environmental and subsistence use protections enacted by President Biden and his administration as possible, while advancing new measures to open additional Alaska lands for unsustainable resource extraction and loosening regulations in favor of industry.

“Alaska is warming four times faster than the rest of the planet, a trend that is wreaking havoc on communities, ecosystems, fish, wildlife, and ways of life that depend on healthy lands and waters,” said Carole Holley, Earthjustice’s managing attorney for the Alaska Office. “That reality requires us to create economic opportunities that respect the lands and people of Alaska and benefit all. The Trump administration’s agenda for Alaska would destroy valuable habitats and subsistence hunting and fishing grounds while furthering the climate crisis. Earthjustice and its clients will not stand idly by while Trump once again forces a harmful industry-driven agenda on our state for political gain and the benefit of a wealthy few.”

The Western Arctic, the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, and the Tongass National Forest are a few of the public lands under attack in the new administration’s agenda. Also squarely in the crosshairs are measures enacted under consultation with Alaska Native tribes intended to protect critical subsistence resources, cultural practices, and traditional ways of life. President Trump also said his administration would rename Denali, North America’s largest peak, to Mt. McKinley. This proposal dismisses the overwhelming support in Alaska (including from Sen. Lisa Murkowski and other members of the Alaska delegation) for keeping the name Denali, which translates to “the High One” or “the Great One” from the Koyukon Athabascan people who inhabited the area for millennia.

While the Trump administration’s plans were made clear in the orders, it’s important to note that the vast bulk of the actions cannot be made unilaterally by the President without cooperation from government agencies, Congress, or other authorities. And many of these actions will include a public process in which Alaskans, and all Americans, will be able to voice their opinions.

The following is a list of issues Earthjustice and our clients are engaged in that are addressed in today’s executive orders:

  • Oil and Gas Leasing, Arctic National Wildlife Refuge: The new administration is attempting to undo President Biden’s cancellation of Alaska Industrial Development and Export Authority’s unlawful leases in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (Arctic Refuge) and to reinstate a plan from Trump’s previous administration that would permit widespread and risky oil and gas activities throughout the entire sensitive Coastal Plain of the Arctic Refuge. The Coastal Plain is sacred land for Gwich’in people and the calving grounds for the Porcupine caribou herd. Earthjustice has for decades defended the Arctic Refuge from fossil fuel development, which would destroy a critical intact ecosystem and worsen climate change. It should also be noted that not a single company bid on Refuge leases offered by Interior earlier this month.
  • Oil and Gas Development, Western Arctic: At stake is whether the Western Arctic, a wildlife reserve with extraordinary ecological value that is also known as the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska (Reserve), should be sacrificed to a dying oil and gas industry. In today’s executive order, the Trump administration directed federal agencies to toss out the current Integrated Activity Plan (IAP) developed under the Obama and Biden administrations that protected roughly half of the 23-million-acre Reserve from oil and gas development and to readopt the IAP his administration put forward in 2020, which opened most areas in the Reserve for development. Trump also ordered the repeal of new regulations affording special protections to some lands within the Reserve. Earthjustice will defend against further oil and gas development in the Western Arctic, including any attempts to expand the Willow project.
  • Offshore Oil Drilling: In one of the executive orders aimed at undoing 78 Biden-era politics, the Trump administration is seeking to reverse protections of offshore waters from oil-and-gas drilling enacted and reaffirmed under outgoing President Biden. These protections, in line with the two-thirds of American voters who support protecting coastlines from new offshore drilling, include public waters off the Atlantic, Pacific, Alaska, and Gulf coasts.
  • Alaska LNG: In the Alaska-specific order, the Trump administration called for prioritizing the development of Alaska’s liquified natural gas (LNG), including the sale and transportation of Alaskan LNG to other regions of the United States and allied nations within the Pacific region, as well as the permitting of all necessary pipeline and export infrastructure related to the Alaska LNG Project. All of this despite a $40 billion price tag and the irrevocable impact to the climate.
  • Tongass National Forest Roadless Rule: In today’s executive order, the new administration directed the Department of Agriculture to work toward repealing roadless rule protections for the Tongass National Forest. This could again raise the threat of industrial, old-growth logging within our nation’s largest forest which serves as an important climate buffer by storing 20 percent of the carbon stored by all U.S. forests. In recent years, the region has largely transitioned away from logging in favor of sustainable local economies like fishing, tourism, and outdoor recreation – a change many local Alaskans and tribes have publicly supported during a revision of the Tongass forest plan now underway. Earthjustice has defended the Tongass for decades and will continue to do so.
  • Protection of 28 Million Acres of Public Lands in Alaska: Today’s order directs the Bureau of Land Management to lift protections that safeguarded 28 million acres of public lands in Alaska from fossil fuel leasing, hard rock mining, and other extractive development. The Biden administration concluded that these protections are critical for subsistence practices of many communities throughout Alaska that rely on these lands, and that these communities would be significantly harmed if these lands were developed.
  • Izembek National Wildlife Refuge: Earthjustice represents the Native Village of Hooper Bay, a Tribe in Western Alaska that has long opposed a proposed land swap and road through the Izembek National Wildlife Refuge. In today’s order, the Trump administration directed the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to ignore the subsistence rights of tribal governments and facilitate the construction of a road through Izembek National Wildlife Refuge contrary to the law, further endangering the Pacific black brant and emperor geese that Alaska Native people have relied upon for millennia.
A natural gas flare from an offshore oil drilling rig in Cook Inlet, Alaska.
A natural gas flare from an offshore oil drilling rig in Cook Inlet, Alaska. (Paul Souders / Getty Images)

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Alaska federal government officials, Senators Dan Sullivan and Lisa Murkowski, and newly elected Representative Nick Begich, also released a statement:

PRESIDENT TRUMP UNLEASHES ALASKA’S ECONOMY IN SINGLE, SWEEPING EXECUTIVE ORDER

WASHINGTON—U.S. Senators Dan Sullivan and Lisa Murkowski, and Representative Nick Begich (all R-Alaska) today welcomed a comprehensive executive order, signed by President Donald Trump, rescinding a series of Biden administration policies and actions related to Alaska lands and resources, and reinstating many policies and actions of the first Trump administration. In his order, President Trump establishes “an immediate end to the assault on Alaska’s sovereignty and its ability to responsibly develop [its] resources for the benefit of the Nation.”

Specifically, the executive order supports further progress on the Alaska Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) Project, removes resource restrictions within the National Petroleum Reserve of Alaska (NPR-A) and other parts of the state, protects Alaskans’ hunting and trapping rights on federal lands, restores unlawfully cancelled oil and gas leases in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR), advances the Ambler Access Project and the life-saving King Cove Road, revokes Biden administration regulations that imposed the 2001 Roadless Rule on Alaska, and removes hurdles preventing Alaska Native people from receiving the lands they are due.

“It is morning again in Alaska. With the stroke of a pen, President Trump has sent America and the world the unmistakable message that unleashing Alaska’s energy and resources will be a top priority of his administration, literally from day 1,” said Sen. Sullivan. “The contrast with the Biden administration couldn’t be more stark. For four years, our state suffered under an unrelenting assault—70 executive orders and actions restricting Alaskans’ economic opportunities and lawful access to our lands. No state has endured this kind of sustained negative attention from a federal administration in recent memory. President Trump’s sweeping executive order, and the work we will do with his administration over the next four years, will put Alaskans back in the driver’s seat of our state’s destiny, advancing critical resource development projects and unleashing economic opportunities for the benefit of our hard-working families and the security of the entire nation. I want to thank President Trump for recognizing Alaska as the great strategic asset for our country that it is and for standing up for working Alaskans.”

“President Trump is picking up right where he left off, reversing years of damaging decisions and prioritizing Alaska’s unrivaled opportunities for responsible energy and mineral development,” Sen. Murkowski said. “The policies laid out in this Executive Order will improve our economy, our budget, and our quality of life while simultaneously making energy more affordable and enhancing national security. Alaska is the blue chip in the United States’ energy portfolio, and I thank President Trump for helping us capitalize on our resources.”

“Today, the failed policies of the Biden Administration are now but a page in the history books – one that will soon be forgotten. The golden age of America has begun,” said Rep. Begich. “On day one, President Trump showed the American people they have a leader in the White House who will usher in a new era of economic renewal and energy dominance with an executive order aimed at unleashing American energy. Under the leadership of President Donald J. Trump, Alaska will be empowered to fully harness its vast energy and mineral resources, spearhead economic renewal, and solidify our position as an energy powerhouse. I am proud to stand with the Trump Administration in this critical effort to build a stronger, more prosperous Alaska for generations to come. The pathway to American prosperity begins in Alaska, and it begins today.”

Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy also was thrilled with the Alaska legislation released today:

Update: More reaction from Alaska’s Native community:

Grandmothers Growing Goodness Condemns Trump’s Day One Executive Order Threatening Communities, Wildlife, and Health in the Western Arctic

(Nuiqsut, Alaska)—Yesterday, President Trump announced an executive order that directs the Secretary of Interior to roll back protections for Special Areas in the Western Arctic and turn back the clock four years to reinstate plans to drill in the Teshekpuk Lake Special Area. This move is dangerous and undermines the Biden Administration’s years of engaging with Tribes and building a sound scientific record that underscored the necessity of protecting special areas, wildlife, and Native Alaskans in the Western Arctic. 

This executive order follows the Biden Administration’s efforts last year to protect Teshekpuk Lake and other important subsistence and wildlife areas in the National Petroleum Reserve Alaska (NPR-A). Additionally, President Biden’s Department of the Interior just recognized significant subsistence resource values, the need for co-management, and the importance of establishing new Special Areas to protect subsistence use in the Western Arctic, and the executive order rescinds these safeguards.

In response to Trump’s executive order, Grandmothers Growing Goodness released the following statement:

“It is truly disappointing to see President Trump use his very first day in office to attempt to undo all the progress the Biden Administration achieved for our land, way of life, wildlife, and public health. For millennia, Alaska Natives have called the Western Arctic our home; we have stewarded the land and maintained a subsistence lifestyle based on co-existing with our living resources. President Trump’s executive order is out of step with what Indigenous and Alaskan communities and people across the country want. We have been clear in demanding strong protections for our lands, wildlife— including caribou, air, and water in the Arctic and will always oppose any new leasing or drilling that harms our way of life and health. Our community is now even more emboldened to use our collective power to create goodness and ensure our leaders in Washington hear our voices and protect our lands, wildlife, and health,”  said Rosemary Ahtuangaruak, Founder of Grandmothers Growing Goodness.

The Western Arctic is home to sacred lands where 40 Indigenous communities live a subsistence lifestyle in harmony with America’s largest caribou herd. The lands protected by President Biden’s Special Areas designation in the NPR-A are critical to supporting these vulnerable communities’ food security, cultural traditions, and health. 

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Grandmothers Growing Goodness is an Inupiat group dedicated to elevating the understanding and protection of Inupiat culture and people in the face of rampant oil and gas development and climate change. Its core purpose is to help support equity for communities facing significant environmental justice threats and to strengthen equity for the Inupiat.