Interior Department blocks 13 million acres of northern Alaska from oil and gas developmen

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The Interior Department will finalize regulations Friday to block 13 million acres of public land from oil and gas drilling in the National Petroleum Reserve – Alaska.

“These natural wonders demand our protection," President Joe Biden said in the announcement. "I am proud that my administration is taking action ... in the Western Arctic and to honor the culture, history, and enduring wisdom of Alaska Natives who have lived on and stewarded these lands since time immemorial.”

Native groups, however, have criticized the administration for pursuing its anti-fossil fuel agenda, even when it conflicts with the interests of Native Alaskan communities.

Prior to the official announcement, the Voice of the Artric Iñupiat, which represents more than a dozen Native communities on Alaska’s North Slope, strongly disagreed with the decision.

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