**Interior Department Retains Protections on Alaska Public Lands Amidst Industry Push for Development**
The U.S. Department of the Interior has reaffirmed its commitment to protecting 28 million acres of Alaska’s public lands, reversing a Trump-era effort to open these areas to oil and gas extraction. This substantial decision shields a vast expanse of critical habitat crucial for the state’s subsistence hunting and fishing practices, as well as its indigenous communities.
The timeline of this protection is marked by significant events. During the Trump administration, there was a last-minute push to end these longstanding protections, known as withdrawals, and allow industry use of the land without thorough environmental analysis.
However, upon taking office, the Biden administration promptly placed these plans on hold and initiated an extensive environmental review. This comprehensive evaluation aimed to assess the potential impacts on fish and wildlife habitats, subsistence resources, and the communities that rely on these lands for their livelihood.
**A Landmark Decision Amidst Controversy**
The federal government’s decision to retain these protections comes after years of deliberation and extensive community engagement. The Interior Department conducted 19 community meetings, receiving overwhelming support from Alaska Native groups and other stakeholders. The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) also garnered approximately 15,000 public comments on the draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS).
The BLM’s final EIS concluded that lifting any of the protections would likely harm subsistence hunting and fishing practices, leading to significant negative impacts on wildlife, vegetation, and permafrost. This analysis underscored the importance of maintaining these protections to safeguard the ecological integrity of Alaska’s public lands.
Historically, D-1 lands have been protected under Section 17 (d)(1) of the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (ANCSA), enacted by Congress in 1971. These lands crisscross Northwest, Southwest, Southcentral, and Southeast Alaska, encompassing vital ecological zones including BLM’s Bay, Bering Sea-Western Interior, East Alaska,