Locking in the oil and gas leases could make it more difficult for Biden’s administration to reverse course.
Arctic
Arctic seals were listed as threatened in 2012. Now their sea ice habitat will be protected, too.
The Bering, Chukchi and Beaufort seas are home to a variety of marine mammals, including bearded seals and ringed seals. Though both species are in relative abundance, long-term projections forecast a threat to the once abundant sea ice that the seals live on. As a result, the species were listed as threatened in 2012 under the Endangered Species Act.
Drilling boosters, opponents consider next steps after first Arctic refuge lease sale
The state won 10-year oil leases for nine pieces of land by submitting the minimum offer: $25 an acre. But drilling for oil in the refuge is expensive, and it faces an aggressive opposition campaign.
Nation’s sole heavy icebreaker arrives in Unalaska, prepares to patrol Arctic waters
The nation’s sole heavy icebreaker arrived in the Aleutian Islands this week for the first time since 2013.
Arctic Refuge lease sale goes bust, with no bids from major oil companies
One of the Trump administration’s biggest energy initiatives suffered a stunning setback Wednesday, as a decades-long push to drill for oil in Alaska’s Arctic National Wildlife Refuge ended with a lease sale that attracted just three bidders — one of which was the state of Alaska itself.
Federal judge denies requests to block Arctic refuge oil leasing
It’s a win for the Trump administration, which has pushed to lock in drilling in the refuge in its final weeks, before President-elect Joe Biden takes office and can try to stop it.