The Trump administration will offer 5.5 million acres on Alaska’s North Slope for oil and gas leasing, opening up a huge expanse of public land where Democratic administrations previously sought to restrict development.
The Bureau of Land Management scheduled a lease sale for March 9 in the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska (NPR-A), a 23-million-acre preserve in northern Alaska that is home to caribou and migratory birds.
The sale by the Interior Department agency is mandated by last year’s Republican megalaw, which requires five sales in the NPR-A by 2035. Bids for the upcoming sale must be received by 4 p.m. Alaska time on March 5, according to a Federal Register notice set to be published Friday.
“The National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska plays a vital role in advancing America’s energy independence, and Congress has repeatedly made clear their intent for timely leasing and responsible development in the region,” acting BLM Director Bill Groffy said in a statement Thursday.
