In 2025, the Trump administration approved expanded oil and gas drilling across Alaska’s Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR), reopening the Coastal Plain for leasing and exploration as part of a broader push for energy dominance.
This move reversed restrictions imposed during the Biden era, fulfilling Trump’s campaign promises to boost domestic fossil fuel production despite low industry interest in initial lease sales. The decision echoed actions from Trump’s first term in 2017, when legislation opened ANWR’s Coastal Plain to drilling through a tax reform bill.
The ongoing debate about drilling in sensitive wildlife refuges, such as ANWR, centers on balancing energy needs with environmental preservation. Proponents argue that it enhances U.S. energy security, while opponents warn of irreversible ecological harm. Critics argue that such activities in protected areas could disrupt habitats and threaten biodiversity in ways that outweigh the short-term economic benefits.
Historically, ANWR drilling policies have shifted in response to changes in White House leadership, as Republican presidents, including Reagan, Bush, and Trump, have sought to open the area for exploration. In contrast, Democratic presidents such as Clinton, who vetoed drilling bills in the 1990s, and Biden, who paused leases and imposed moratoriums, have prioritized restrictions to protect the refuge.
This partisan divide dates back to the refuge’s creation in 1960 under Eisenhower, with intensified battles since the 1980 Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act left the Coastal Plain’s fate open to congressional debate. If drilling in ANWR and similar refuges is not conducted properly, it risks oil spills, seismic disturbances, and habitat fragmentation that could devastate caribou calving grounds, polar bear dens, and migratory bird populations.
We want to ask you, the reader: do you approve of oil and gas drilling in wildlife refuges? Answer in our poll below and comment your thoughts on drilling in these sensitive areas.
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DRILL TIME: Trump admin. approves gas drilling in Alaskan wildlife refuge
