The U.S. House of Representatives has approved three Congressional Review Act resolutions aimed at reopening millions of acres of land in Alaska and Wyoming for energy development. These areas had been restricted by policies from the Biden administration.
House Committee on Natural Resources Chairman Bruce Westerman (R-Ark.) commented on the decision, stating: “This week’s votes in the House reestablished access to vital tracts of land intended for energy leasing, which support U.S. energy production and drive economic growth in America’s rural communities. Alaska and Wyoming’s resource-rich lands are indispensable to unleashing American energy and mineral dominance. Representatives Begich and Hageman’s resolutions will create jobs and promote access to affordable energy for years to come.”
The first resolution, S.J. Res. 80, was introduced by Senator Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska) and Representative Nick Begich (R-Alaska). It seeks to repeal the Integrated Activity Plan for the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska, a policy that had placed nearly 12 million acres off-limits for energy development.
A second measure, H.J. Res. 130, introduced by Representative Harriet Hageman (R-Wyo.), targets the Buffalo Field Office Resource Management Plan Amendment in Wyoming. This amendment had restricted use of 800,000 acres of land and 4.7 million acres of mineral estate in a state responsible for producing about 40 percent of U.S. coal.
The third resolution, H.J. Res. 131, also sponsored by Rep. Begich, would reverse a Record of Decision limiting oil and gas activities in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge’s 1002 Area. If enacted, it would allow new energy production on over one million acres while easing regulations on other lands in the region.
Oil and gas production is significant for Alaska’s economy; it provides most tax revenue for North Slope communities as well as annual dividends from the Alaska Permanent Fund.
These resolutions advance several executive orders issued during President Trump’s administration focused on expanding domestic resource extraction.
