US EditionWhat’s at risk for Arctic wildlife if Trump expands oil drilling in the fragile National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska
- On June 17, 2025, the Trump administration revealed plans to allow oil and gas extraction on almost 82% of the environmentally sensitive National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska.
- The plan follows a history of the reserve being designated in 1923 as an emergency oil supply, with management now under the Bureau of Land Management tasked with protecting ecological and cultural values.
- The reserve spans nearly 23 million acres, hosting millions of migratory birds, many caribou herds, polar bears, and Indigenous communities like the Iñupiat reliant on this ecosystem for subsistence and cultural practices.
- Experts warn that expanding drilling risks disrupting wildlife migration and habitat, increasing permafrost thaw, releasing carbon dioxide, and causing habitat loss with long-term ecological consequences.
- Public comments on the plan are accepted through July 1, 2025, with decisions expected to influence the future of this critical Arctic ecosystem and its global climate role.
8 Articles
8 Articles
What's at risk for Arctic wildlife if Trump expands oil drilling in the fragile National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska
The largest tract of public land in the United States is a wild expanse of tundra and wetlands stretching across nearly 23 million acres of northern Alaska. It's called the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska, but despite its industrial-sounding name, the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska, or NPR-A, is much more than a fuel depot.
Trump wants Alaska reserve open for drilling. We can still stop him
Mariah Meek, Associate Professor of Integrative Biology, Michigan State UniversityThe largest tract of public land in the United States is a wild expanse of tundra and wetlands stretching across nearly 23 million acres of northern Alaska. It’s called the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska, but despite its industrial-sounding name, the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska, or NPR-A, is much more than a fuel depot.Tens of thousands of caribou feed …
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What’s at risk for Arctic wildlife if Trump expands oil drilling in the fragile National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska
Teshekpuk caribou graze in the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska. Bob Wick/BLM, CC BYThe largest tract of public land in the United States is a wild expanse of tundra and wetlands stretching across nearly 23 million acres of northern Alaska. It’s called the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska, but despite its industrial-sounding name, the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska, or NPR-A, is much more than a fuel depot. Tens of thousands of caribou f…
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