Biden administration protects 28M acres of Alaska public lands, reversing Trump

The Biden administration announced Tuesday it was protecting 28 million acres of public lands in Alaska, reversing a Trump administration effort to open them up to development.

The move protects the lands from activities including mining and oil and gas extraction. 

The decision is not a surprise because the administration indicated earlier this year it planned to protect the acreage. 

However, the decision represents a reversal of orders signed at the very end of the Trump administration that sought to open up the lands for industry use. The Biden administration described its predecessor’s action as “unlawful” saying it did not consider impacts to the environment, including historic and cultural resources for tribes. 

“Tribal consultation must be treated as a requirement — not an option — when the federal government is making decisions that could irrevocably affect Tribal communities,” Interior Secretary Deb Haaland said in a statement. “Continuing these essential protections, which have been in place for decades, will ensure continued access and use of these public lands now and in the future.”

The decision from Haaland cited impacts on Indigenous populations, saying opening the lands to development would harm tribal fishing and hunting and other activities. It estimated that between 31,000 and 52,000 people rely on the land in question for drinking water, food security, and cultural identity.

It also noted the move would protect caribou habitat. The areas being preserved include Bristol Bay, an area that represents significant habitat for salmon.

The administration said in an assessment earlier this year that keeping the land closed to development could prevent potential spills from contaminating rivers and would also be expected to prevent harms to birds and their habitats.

Environmental advocates cheered the decision.

“These lands and waters are unparalleled not only for their natural beauty, but for the habitat they provide imperiled wildlife, and the recreation opportunities they offer us,” said Dan Ritzman, director of Sierra Club’s Conservation Campaign, in a statement.

“These 28 million acres are some of the last truly intact wildlands in the United States,” Ritzman said. 

The state of Alaska contains approximately 365 million acres, so Tuesday’s action impacts about one-thirteenth of its total land area.