US decides to limit leasing in Alaska petroleum reserve

By BECKY BOHRER
Associated Press

JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — The U.S. Interior Department has issued a decision to limit roughly half of the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska to oil and gas leasing. It is a rollback of an approach adopted under the prior Trump administration. The decision states that it would prevent oil and gas development in areas considered important for sensitive bird populations and the Teshekpuk and Western Arctic caribou herds. Alaska’s U.S. senators criticized the new decision as shortsighted and as closing off millions of acres to potential development. Some conservation groups said they view the new decision as positive but want more action from the Biden administration in moving away from fossil fuels.