Trump Opens Alaskan Wildlife Refuge to Drilling

The Trump administration on Friday will offer for lease large tracts of land in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) in Alaska for oil and gas development. The auction covers around 689,000 acres, or more than 278,000 hectares, of the protected area, which is home to polar bears, caribou, migratory birds and other species.

The sale marks another step by the administration to boost domestic energy production, following legislation passed last year that mandates four similar auctions within the refuge.

Supporters of the project, including Alaska state officials and some Native communities, argue that drilling development would create jobs and help reverse a long-term decline in the state's oil output.

Whether energy companies will show serious interest remains uncertain. Previous auctions in the area have drawn only a handful of bidders, and at the most recent sale under former president Joe Biden, not a single bid was submitted. Companies currently prefer to invest in more accessible regions such as Texas or New Mexico.

Environmental organizations and some indigenous groups have criticized the plan, arguing that the refuge is one of the most pristine natural areas in the US and that infrastructure construction could irreversibly damage local ecosystems.

ANWR covers around 19 million acres and has not yet seen large-scale oil infrastructure development.

(reuters, max)