Trump Administration Moves
Forward With Controversial
Drilling in Alaska Wilderness .
The Trump administration is seeking to advance oil
exploration in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR). .
Earlier this year, Trump and his administration
finalized their decision to open up the ANWR’s
1.56 million acre costal plain for leasing. .
Now, the Bureau of Land Management’s
Alaska state office will reportedly publish
“requests for nominations” on Tuesday. .
The specifics are unknown, but the site describes it
as a “Coastal Plain Alaska Oil and Gas Lease Sale.”.
The move forward is being largely criticized by environmentalists, as President-elect Joe Biden has
pledged to “permanently protect” the ANWR.
Biden’s efforts may be complicated
if Trump’s administration sells drilling rights prior
to Biden’s inauguration in January 2021. .
The ANWR, compromised of 19 million acres,
is home to polar bears, gray wolves, caribou
and more than 200 bird species. .
If drilling is allowed in the ANWR, opponents
believe it could negatively affect the landscape, harm
the animal species and exacerbate climate change.