The Trump administration has put forward a proposal to reverse the Biden-era policy that restricted new oil, gas, and mining activities across a significant portion of Alaska’s National Petroleum Reserve (NPR-A), a massive area comparable in size to Indiana.
Interior Secretary Doug Burgum argued that the earlier restrictions instituted by the Biden administration were legally flawed and detrimental to domestic energy production. Burgum criticized those advocating for environmental protections in the state, suggesting that they treat Alaska as if it were a snow globe.
“Congress was clear: the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska was set aside to support America’s energy security through responsible development,” Burgum stated in a press release. “The 2024 rule ignored that mandate, prioritizing obstruction over production and undermining our ability to harness domestic resources at a time when American energy independence has never been more critical. We’re restoring the balance and putting our energy future back on track.”
On June 1, Senator Dan Sullivan dramatically tore up Biden’s executive orders on camera, emphasizing the urgency of the situation.
“This is the Day 1 executive order from President Trump on Unleashing Alaska’s Extraordinary Resource Potential. Day One. We’re the only state in the country that has its own executive order…We have the need for speed right now…And when you help Alaska, you help America,” Sullivan proclaimed.
Sullivan highlighted the pressing issue of permitting reform, stating, “It shouldn’t take 20 years to permit a gold mine in Alaska. I mean, that hurts people. When you delay things for so long.”
He continued, “We have a great administration that wants to help us. We probably have the hottest play in the world today on the North Slope. In the NPR-A, we just need the federal government to help us.”
According to the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), the NPR-A encompasses 23 million acres on Alaska’s North Slope, making it the largest federally managed public land unit in the United States. Originally designated in 1923 as a petroleum source for the U.S. Navy, the reserve is now a crucial habitat for large Arctic wildlife populations, including 50,000 Teshekpuk caribou, 1,500 polar bears, and hundreds of thousands of migratory birds.
In 2024, President Joseph R. Biden acted to protect 13 million acres of the reserve from new development. The Biden administration cited the concerns of Alaska Native communities who rely on the land, water, and wildlife for sustenance, cultural practices, and survival as justification for the restrictions.
The Trump administration’s proposed rollback would reopen much of the NPR-A for leasing opportunities. A 60-day public comment period will ensue before the rule can be finalized. This reversal coincides with Senate Republicans’ efforts to secure votes for President Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” which emphasizes accelerating the production of domestic energy. Notably, Senate Majority Leader John Thune is navigating a very slim three-vote margin to pass the legislation.
A significant vote belongs to Alaska Senator Lisa Murkowski, a centrist Republican who was re-elected in 2022 through Alaska’s ranked choice voting system. Murkowski is known for being one of the Senate’s most independent members, and her support is considered crucial. She has long been an advocate for expanding resource development in Alaska and is supportive of the Trump plan to lift NPR-A restrictions.
Additionally, Murkowski has championed the Ambler Access Project, which proposes a 211-mile industrial road that would cross Gates of the Arctic National Park. This project aims to unlock an estimated $7.5 billion in copper deposits in Alaska. However, the Biden administration halted the initiative based on an environmental review that concluded it would pose risks to salmon streams, significantly alter wildlife habitats, and disrupt subsistence hunting and fishing in over 30 Alaska Native communities.
Murkowski labeled the Ambler Access Project as “critical” for rural development and national mineral security, vocally opposing the Biden administration’s decision last year to reject it. Alaska Congressman Nick Begich, elected in 2024 through ranked choice voting, has echoed Murkowski’s support for both the Ambler Road and the broader NPR-A rollback. Former Representative Mary Peltola, a Democrat, also supported the road during her tenure.
On June 2, Secretary Burgum, Energy Secretary Chris Wright, and EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin toured the North Slope and are set to attend Governor Mike Dunleavy’s Alaska Sustainable Energy Conference beginning June 3.
Murkowski expressed gratitude for the support from the Trump administration, affirming the importance of federal attention to Alaskan initiatives. “To have them here, to be listening to industry leaders, to Alaskans—this is the newsworthy takeaway,” she noted.
She thanked the Trump administration for its focus on “energy dominance” and emphasized that this critical effort “begins with the state of Alaska.”
“We do a lot of these roundtables,” Murkowski asserted, stressing the importance of action moving forward. “What is the implementation? What are the next steps going forward? It starts with permitting, it starts with coordination within the agencies, it starts with looking critically at the delays that come with litigation.”
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