Trump administration defends Alaska oil lease sale amid conservation lawsuits

The Trump administration’s Interior Department asked Judge Sharon Gleason to uphold its authority to open roughly 18.6 million acres of the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska to oil and gas leasing. The action, the first of five sales mandated by the “Big Beautiful Bill,” has sparked lawsuits from several conservation groups, such as the Center for Biological Diversity, Sovereign Inupiat for a Living Arctic, Trustees for Alaska, Grandmothers Growing Goodness and the Wilderness Society.

Plaintiffs claim the Bureau of Land Management violated the Naval Petroleum Reserves Production Act, the Endangered Species Act, NEPA and the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act by failing to protect threatened species and conduct proper analyses. The government counters that the integrated activity plan complies with the law and includes protective measures for wildlife corridors. Justice Department attorney Paul Turcke warned that canceling the plan would cause disruptive consequences. Gleason has not yet issued a ruling but is expected to decide before the end of the month.