Suspension of Arctic Refuge Leases a Positive Step, But More is Needed

Washington — Today the Biden administration announced the suspension of oil and gas leases for the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge issued under the leasing mandate contained in the 2017 Tax Act. President Biden had previously placed a temporary moratorium on oil and gas leasing activities on the Arctic Refuge coastal plain, doing so via an executive order issued on his first day in office.
Alaska Wilderness League is one of several organizations that sued the Trump administration in August 2020 over the finalizing of an illegal leasing program that violated bedrock environmental laws including the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act, the National Wildlife Refuge System Administration Act, the National Environmental Policy Act, the Wilderness Act, and the Endangered Species Act.