Biden administration restricts oil and gas leasing in 13 million acres of Alaska’s petroleum reserve

ASSOCIATED PRESS • April 19, 2024

The Biden administration said Friday it will restrict new oil and gas leasing on 13 million acres of a federal petroleum reserve in Alaska to help protect wildlife such as caribou and polar bears as the Arctic continues to warm. The decision – part of a yearslong fight over whether and how to develop the vast oil resources in the state – finalizes protections first proposed last year. A group of Republican lawmakers, led by Alaska U.S. Sen. Dan Sullivan, called it an “illegal” attack on the state’s economic lifeblood.