**Interior Retains Protective Measures on Alaska Public Lands**
The United States Department of the Interior has made a crucial decision to retain protections on 28 million acres of D-1 public lands in Alaska, marking a significant step towards preserving Alaska’s natural heritage and supporting the long-term sustainability of its ecosystem. This move reverses a Trump-era initiative that sought to open these lands to oil and gas leasing, a move that was met with strong opposition from environmental advocates, Alaska Native communities, and federal officials.
### Background and Context
The D-1 lands in question were initially designated for protection under the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act of 1971. These lands were set aside to shield them from mineral and oil and gas development, thereby preserving vital habitats for wildlife and ensuring that subsistence resources remain available for local communities. This protection has been a cornerstone of Alaska’s public land management strategy for decades.
### Reversal of Trump-Era Decisions
In the final days of the Trump administration, efforts were made to lift these protections and allow for extensive development activities such as mining and oil drilling. However, these actions were deemed unlawful by the Interior Department due to a lack of adequate environmental assessments and insufficient consultation with Alaska Native communities.
Upon taking office, the Biden administration swiftly paused these orders and initiated an extensive environmental review process to evaluate the potential impacts of lifting these protections on fish and wildlife habitats, subsistence resources, and Alaska Native communities. This review was crucial in understanding how the land use changes could affect long-term ecological balance and community livelihoods.
### Community Engagement and Public Support
The Interior Department conducted 19 community meetings to gather input from local stakeholders and received approximately 15,000 public comments on the draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). The overwhelming support from Alaska Native groups and other local communities was evident throughout this process. Moreover, BLM’s final EIS highlighted severe negative impacts that revoking protections would have on subsistence hunting and fishing practices as well as enduring harm to wildlife,