Trump BLM Would Open Vast Acreage For Oil Leasing In Alaska Reserve

"A federal agency on Thursday released a final management plan for the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska, proposing to make 7 million additional acres of land on the North Slope open to potential oil and gas development.

Conservation groups decried the move, saying the Bureau of Land Management plan threatens prized areas that were protected in a 2013 plan, including the Teshekpuk Lake Special Area considered important habitat for caribou, polar bears, eiders and other migrating birds.

State and federal officials expressed support for the new plan, saying it balances conservation with opportunities for development in the 23-million-acre reserve."

Alex DeMarban reports for the Anchorage Daily News June 25, 2020.

SEE ALSO:

"Trump Administration Wants Drilling On More Than Two-Thirds Of The Largest Swath Of U.S. Public Land" (Washington Post)