In the first few hours of his second presidency, President Donald Trump issued an executive order that could pave the way for oil drilling in North Alaska’s Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, one of the last great wildernesses left in the US.
Shortly after announcing the US was set to “drill, baby, drill” at his inauguration on January 20, President Trump swiftly signed an executive order to bolster fossil fuel extraction in Alaska.
It aims to end the temporary ban on fossil fuel activities in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, while advancing new measures to open additional parts of Alaska for gas and oil extraction. Environmental groups have pointed out that this could impact areas like the Tongass National Forest, National Petroleum Reserve–Alaska, and off-shore regions.
The measure also revoked the cancellation of any leases within the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in an attempt to undo former president Biden’s suspension of oil drilling permits in the region.
“The State of Alaska holds an abundant and largely untapped supply of natural resources including, among others, energy, mineral, timber, and seafood. Unlocking this bounty of natural wealth will raise the prosperity of our citizens while helping to enhance our Nation’s economic and national security for generations to come,” says the executive order.
Covering 78,000 square kilometers (30,100 square miles) of rolling tundra and wetlands in Alaska’s North Slope region, the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge is a haven for an extraordinary variety of American wildlife, including polar bears, grizzlies, black bears, moose, caribou, wolves, lynxes, eagles, martens, wolverines, and beavers.
Beneath this pristine wilderness, however, lies an estimated 11 billion barrels of oil and vast reserves of natural gas.
Caribou migrate annually to the coastal plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and leave behind their shed antlers.
Image credit: Lisa Hupp/USFWS (public domain)
The question of whether to drill here has been going backward and forward since the 1970s. While big business and their political cheerleaders say it could bring jobs and money, environmentalists and Indigenous rights groups believe it could be catastrophic for the wildlife and people that live here.
“Alaska is warming four times faster than the rest of the planet, a trend that is wreaking havoc on communities, ecosystems, fish, wildlife, and ways of life that depend on healthy lands and waters,” Carole Holley, Earthjustice’s managing attorney for the Alaska Office, said in a statement.
“That reality requires us to create economic opportunities that respect the lands and people of Alaska and benefit all,” added Holley.
Despite President Trump pulling this powerful political move, it’s not certain that fossil fuel companies will come flocking to the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. There have been two congressionally mandated oil and gas lease sales for the Coastal Plain of the Arctic Refuge: the first in 2021 attracted “low interest” and the second in 2025 received zero bids.
“President Trump’s inaugural address and first-day actions make it clear: he’s fixated on dragging our nation’s energy and public land policy backwards. These actions ignore what the free market has declared: there is no industry interest in Arctic Refuge oil extraction,” Andy Moderow, Senior Director of Policy at Alaska Wilderness League, said in a statement.
Over the past few years, there seemed to be little interest in opening the Alaska Refuge to fossil fuel drilling; but with Trump back at the helm, the outcome could very easily unfold differently. As the political pendulum swings, the fate of one of America’s last great wildernesses hangs in the balance…
