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Interior order would allow more leasing in Coastal Plain, NPR-A
Kristen Nelson Petroleum News
The U.S. Department of the Interior is making changes which impact energy development in Alaska -- moving to open the Coastal Plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to oil and gas exploration, substantially expanding acreage in the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska available for leasing and revoking public land withdrawals along the trans-Alaska oil pipeline corridor.
"It's time for the U.S. to embrace Alaska's abundant and largely untapped resources as a pathway to prosperity for the nation, including Alaskans," said Interior Secretary Doug Burgum in a March 20 release. "For far too long, the federal government has created too many barriers to capitalizing on the state's energy potential. Interior is committed to recognizing the central role the State of Alaska plays in meeting our nation's energy needs, while providing tremendous economic opportunity for Alaskans."
Interior said the March 20 announcement outlined the "initial suite of actions" to implement Executive Order 14153, signed by President Donald Trump and Secretary's Order 3422, both titled "Unleashing Alaska's Extraordinary Resource potential."
Acreage expansion Actions include reopening as much as 82% of the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska to leasing and expanding energy developments in the approximately 23 million acres of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.
Interior said the plan would balance responsibilities the secretary of the Interior has to provide for oil and gas leasing, exploration and development with energy needs of the nation while protecting important surface resources in NPR-A.
In ANWR, the secretarial order reinstates a program under which the entire ANWR Coastal Plain, 1.56 million acres, is available for oil and gas leasing, fulfilling Congress' intent in the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act "while maintaining strong protections for important surface resources and use in the Coastal Plain."
Withdrawals revoked Interior said land withdrawals along the trans-Alaska oil pipeline corridor and the Dalton Highway north of the Yukon River are being revoked so the lands may be conveyed to the state of Alaska, helping to "pave the way forward for the proposed Ambler Road and the Alaska Liquefied Natural Gas Pipeline project, two projects that stand to increase job opportunities and encourage Alaska's economic growth."
Elected officials enthusiastic In a March 20 statement Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy called the announcement from Interior "more great news for Alaska," thanking President Trump and Secretary Burgum for working on behalf of the state. "The news today will provide more investment opportunities, more jobs, and a better future for Alaskans," Dunleavy said.
Alaska's congressional delegation praised the decisions saying they would "restore access to federal lands, facilitate long-overdue land conveyances, and boost responsible resource production in Alaska."
Sen. Lisa Murkowski called the announcement "wonderful news for Alaska. Secretary Burgum recognizes Alaska's incredible resource potential and the increasingly onerous restrictions that have been put in place -- over our objections -- to stop us from responsibly producing and reaching our full potential as a state. He recognizes our petroleum reserve as a petroleum reserve, the Coastal Plain as our nation's most prospective source for conventional oil and gas, and the need to move forward on both the Ambler Road and AKLNG."
Sen. Dan Sullivan called it "great news for our state and once again, proves that we have a partner in progress in this administration." He said he and Gov. Dunleavey worked with the incoming Trump administration "to make sure these three vital provisions were included. Opening the ANWR Coastal Plain and the NPR-A to responsible resource development has been a longtime goal for Alaska's congressional delegation, Republican presidential administrations, and leaders in Alaska. Additionally, DOI's order today lifts land withdrawals along the Dalton High Corridor," allowing those lands to be conveyed to the state, "securing this vital artery for future resource development, including access to the Ambler Mining District and the right of way for a future Alaska LNG pipeline.
"By opening access to the National Petroleum Reserve, ANWR, and critical infrastructure corridors, we are reaffirming that Alaska's vast resources should be developed to benefit both our state and the entire nation," said U.S. Rep. Nick Begich.
"I will continue working with the Alaska delegation to lead efforts in Congress to codify these actions -- ensuring that no future administration can stall the progress that is vital to Alaska's prosperity," he said.
Indigenous leaders applaud actions In a March 20 release, Voice of the Arctic Inupiat, VOICE, and its 21 members expressed what they called "cautious optimism" to Interior's announcement that it would re-open areas of NPR-A and the ANWR Coastal Plain for development.
Charles Lampe, president of the Kaktovik Inupiat Corp., said, "We applaud today's decision by DOI and Secretary Burgum, which upholds both the 2017 Tax Cuts and Job Act and overwhelming support from our community for development opportunities on the Coastal Plain. As the only community within ANWR's 19 million acre boundaries, we fought for years for our right to self-determination and local economic development in our Indigenous homelands. Secretary Burgum's decision today suggests our community's voice is finally being heard in Washington," he said.
"DOI's latest actions bring us closer to closing the troubling chapter opened by the Biden administration with its attempts to restrict our self-determination in our homelands," said Native Village of Atqasuk President Mary Bordeaux. "Our NPR-A homelands, which we have stewarded for over 10,000 years, are essential to our Inupiaq culture and local economies that sustain our communities. Today, we move one step closer to ensuring that communities like mine may continue to practice our cultural traditions, build modern economies, and thrive for thousands of years more."
Economy, participation Taxation on resource development infrastructure provides more than 95% of the North Slope's tax revenues, VOICE said, supporting schools, health clinics, modern water and sewer systems, wildlife management and research which supports Indigenous subsistence traditions, with the growth in those services directly connected to increases in the average lifespan for North Slope Inupiat from 34 years in 1969 to 77 years today.
"VOICE has advocated tirelessly for durable polities and regular engagement with our North Slope leaders to support development opportunities in our region," said Voice of the Arctic Inupiat President Nagruk Harcharek. That development, he said, "is vital to ensure that revenue streams supporting essential services and infrastructure, many of which are ubiquitous in the Lower 48 but have only arrived in our region within the last 50 years, and institutions managing our subsistence resources remain viable in the long term."
VOICE said the Biden administration did not consult North Slope Inupiat leaders "prior to its actions in their Indigenous NPR-A and ANWR homelands," producing "deeply flawed policies that would have imposed dire economic consequences on the North Slope's Inupiat's communities and culture."
"While these early executive and secretarial actions are promising, it is important that the Trump-Vance administration engage early and frequently with out North Slope leaders to ensure durable policy in our region that benefits our communities and advances out self-determination in the long term," said Inupiat Community of the Arctic Slope Natural Resources Director and Tribal Secretary Doreen Leavitt.
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