Washington, D.C. — U.S. Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland has restored protections for 28 million acres of public lands in Alaska. This action safeguards an area 37 times the size of Yosemite National Park and is a crucial source of subsistence for Alaska Natives. The lands were previously threatened in 2021 when the Trump administration attempted to remove existing protections, known as "D-1 withdrawals," to allow for industrial development. Responding to appeals from more than half of the federally recognized Tribes in Alaska, the Biden-Harris administration reinstated full protections today.
Drew McConville, senior fellow at the Center for American Progress, commented on this development:
"Today’s action is a historic victory for America’s public lands and is the result of unwavering advocacy from Alaska Native communities. By restoring these long-standing protections, the Biden-Harris administration is conserving lands and waterways that have sustained subsistence traditions for thousands of years. These public lands contain some of the most sensitive and productive wildlife habitat in the country. The Trump administration’s attempt to open them up to industrial development was both shortsighted and reckless, especially when Alaska is warming at more than twice the pace of the rest of the planet."
For further information or to speak with an expert, contact Sam Hananel at [email protected].
