As Republican legislators object to the “illegal” action, the Biden administration has announced limits on oil and gas leasing on more than 13 million hectares of an Arctic gas supply to protect property that is beneficial to the “Alaska Native people” and “important fish and wildlife.”
The U. S. Department of the Interior, led by Biden appointee Secretary Deb Haaland, celebrated the regulations on Friday, saying, “These actions follow President Biden’s actions to defend millions of acres of lands and waters in the Arctic. ”
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The Bureau of Land Management ( BLM) finalized the Management and Protection of the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska ( NPR-A ) rule, which will support subsistence uses and needs for Alaska Native communities while supporting the public, Alaska Native Tribes, and Alaska Native Corporations, according to the federal agency.
The new regulations won’t affect existing contracts on the NPR-A, which is owned by the federal government. Initiatives that have already been authorized, including the controversial Willow Project, may still be able to happen.
According to Haaland, the limitations underscore the Biden administration’s” commitment to ensuring that places that are too unique to develop remain unchanged for the communities and species that depend on them.” ”
U. S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources reading on May 2, 2023 in Washington, DC, is interrupted by Interior Secretary Deb Haaland. ( Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images )
She went on to credit “science ” as well as “Indigenous Knowledge practiced over millennia” as factors in her department’s decision-making process.
John Podesta, Biden’s clean energy king, even praised the choice for protecting local Alaskans.
The northern Arctic’s traditional actions, according to Podesta, will allow Alaska Native communities to continue using these special locations for subsistence for generations. “With these new disclosures, the Biden-Harris leadership has now protected more than 41 million hectares of lands and waters across the country, leaving a large dot on the history of American protection. ”
John Podesta, top adviser to the president for fresh strength technology, speaks during a news conference at the White House in Washington, DC, on August 16, 2023. ( Sarah Silbiger/Bloomberg via Getty Images )
The walk was likewise celebrated by climate-activist Democrat legislators, with Sen. Ed Markey (D-MA ), who described it as a win for wildlife and the “Indigenous people who have stewarded these lands for generations. ”
President Biden congratulates him on making a significant investment to defend the Arctic of the United States. Unregulated oil and gas drilling will protect 13 million acres of animals, keeping our environment safe and the Native Americans who have stewarded these land for generations.
— Ed Markey ( @SenMarkey ) April 19, 2024
Alaska Republicans, however, have been speaking out against the management.
A group of legislators, headed by Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-AK), made a speech ahead of the Interior Department’s news, with Sullivan calling it an “illegal” assault on the state’s oil and gas industry.
In a statement, Sullivan stated that the Biden presidency is in agreement with our enemies producing electricity and dominating the world’s crucial mineral markets while shutting down those in America.
Our enemies are celebrating the Biden administration ’s restrictions against America’s power & essential nutrient production—locking up Alaska’s National Petroleum Reserve and blocking exposure to the famous Ambler Mining District.
No question the authoritarians are on the uprising. photograph. tweets. com/PcUwIqUDB0
— Sen. Dan Sullivan ( @SenDanSullivan ) April 18, 2024
The legislator continued, criticizing the federal government for allowing “dictators in Beijing, Moscow, and Tehran” to “undermine our national security interests, saying that Americans are “living in the most dangerous occasions since World War II.” ”
According to Sullivan, the U. S. “desperately needs ” those 13 million acres for oil and gas, as well as national security reasons.
The Biden administration is not typical; in fact, this administration is intentionally pursuing policies that aim to chastise Americans and destroy our positions while continuing to support our adversaries. Sullivan said.
He continued, adding that this choice” no class of Alaskans gets harmed more than our Alaska Native folks.”
Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) echoed Sullivan’s views.
“It’s more than a one-two blow to Alaska, because when you take off exposure to our resources, when you say you cannot drill, you cannot make, you may observe, you cannot walk it — this is the energy uncertainty that we’re talking about, ” she said.
Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) on July 13, 2022, on Capitol Hill in Washington. ( AP Photo/Mariam Zuhaib )
Sen. of South Dakota, Republican. John Thune, who even joined the Alaska officials in their position against the Interior Department’s selection, “these policies are stupid. ”
We have 38 million acres of supply, which is contrary to common sense, and you would n’t be removing 13 million of them when the world desperately needs them. 8 percent increase in energy costs here in the United States, ” Thune said.
The Biden administration’s decision to halt drilling on 13 million acres of the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska is the most recent illustration of how it is threatening American energy production.
Thank you to @SenDanSullivan and @lisamurkowski for your assistance in this crucial issue. pic. twitter. com/pB9YlOosXx
— Senator John Thune ( @SenJohnThune ) April 18, 2024
In a White House press release, Biden defended the action, saying,” My Administration will continue to take ambitious steps to address the urgency of the climate crisis, protect America’s lands and waters, and fulfill our obligations to the next generation of Americans. ”
