by Rachel Frazin | The Hill |The Biden administration announced on 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 it planned to protect the acreage earlier this year.
However, the decision represents a reversal of orders signed at the end of the Trump administration that sought to open the lands for industry use. The Biden administration described its predecessor’s action as “unlawful,” saying it did not consider environmental impacts, 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 was also noted that the move would protect the caribou habitat. The areas being preserved include Bristol Bay, a significant salmon habitat.
In an assessment earlier this year, the administration said that keeping the land closed to development could prevent potential spills from contaminating rivers and would also be expected to prevent harm 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.
Alaska contains approximately 365 million acres, so Tuesday’s action impacts about one-thirteenth of its total land area.
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