Trump attempts to ramp up Alaska oil and gas drilling
The Interior Department recently held its first lease sale of President Donald Trump’s second, nonconsecutive term in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska, selling off tracts of land for possible drilling in an area that has been virtually untouched by the oil and gas industry. And following this month’s sale, it will very likely stay that way.
TL;DR
- The Interior Department held a lease sale in Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) for potential oil and gas drilling.
- ANWR is a remote, biodiverse refuge near the U.S.-Canada border, largely untouched by the oil and gas industry.
- Environmentalists and some native groups oppose drilling, fearing harm to wildlife and ecosystems.
- Residents of one village within the refuge support drilling for economic growth.
- The Trump administration views Alaska as key to its energy dominance and trade agendas.