Biden administration allows limited oil lease sale in Alaska’s Arctic refuge

The Biden administration has approved a scaled-back oil and gas lease sale in Alaska’s Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, keeping open the potential for drilling while sparking legal battles.

Becky Bohrer reports for The Associated Press.

In short:

• The lease sale, scheduled for Jan. 9, includes 400,000 acres in the refuge's coastal plain, far less than the 1.1 million acres offered in the Trump-era sale.
• Indigenous groups remain divided; the Gwich’in oppose drilling, while some Iñupiat leaders support it for economic benefits.
• Environmentalists vow legal action to block drilling, warning of impacts on wildlife and climate change.

Key quote:

The new lease sale is “a deliberate attempt by the Biden administration’s Interior Department to kneecap the potential of development.”

— Nagruk Harcharek, president of Voice of the Arctic Iñupiat

Why this matters:
Drilling in the Arctic refuge threatens wildlife habitats and accelerates climate change. The decision reflects ongoing tension between fossil fuel interests, environmental protection and Indigenous rights.