President Donald Trump’s executive order, signed on his first day in office, aims to boost oil, gas, mining, and logging activities in Alaska. State leaders, especially Republicans, are excited about the plan, believing it is key to Alaska’s economic future. However, environmental groups are concerned, especially with climate change, as the proposals could harm the environment.
The order focuses on reversing many policies put in place by the Biden administration. For example, it looks to open the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) to oil and gas drilling, an area considered sacred by the Indigenous Gwich’in people. Trump’s order also aims to reverse restrictions on drilling in Alaska’s National Petroleum Reserve, a key oil field on the North Slope, and lift limits on logging in Alaska’s temperate rainforests, which are home to wildlife like bears, wolves, and salmon.
The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge is a key point of focus. The Biden administration had canceled seven leases for drilling in the refuge’s coastal plain, issued during Trump’s first term. Major oil companies did not bid on these leases, but a state corporation and smaller companies had. Trump’s order seeks to resume oil and gas exploration in the area, despite opposition from Gwich’in leaders, who believe drilling threatens the caribou they depend on.
Alaska’s political leaders strongly support Trump’s executive order. Republican Senator Dan Sullivan called it “morning again in Alaska,” and Governor Mike Dunleavy said, “This is why elections matter.” The state has long resisted federal regulations limiting resource development. Despite setbacks, such as the lack of bids in a recent lease sale, state leaders argue that expanding Alaska’s resource development is essential for the state’s economy, which has struggled with declining oil production and population loss.
Environmental groups, however, warn that this order may worsen climate change. Aaron Weiss, from the Center for Western Priorities, criticized the plan for pushing rapid development of resources that will take years to implement. Legal challenges are likely, and activists stress the importance of focusing on green energy and reducing carbon emissions instead of expanding fossil fuel development in the Arctic.
As Alaska faces the impact of climate change, such as thinning sea ice and coastal erosion, many argue that the state should focus on sustainable alternatives rather than more drilling.
