Today, the Trump administration announced a series of actions to unleash Alaska’s energy resources and improve public health and safety in the state. House Committee on Natural Resources Chairman Bruce Westerman (R-Ark.) issued the following statement in response:

“Alaska’s extraordinary resource potential and its role in supporting American energy and mineral dominance cannot be understated. I applaud President Trump and Secretary Burgum for taking actions to unlock Alaska’s resources and support Alaska Native communities. By approving permits and land exchanges and overturning policies from the previous administration that locked up lands, the Trump administration’s moves will generate economic opportunity and create good-paying jobs across the state.”

Background

The U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) made a series of announcements today impacting public lands and resource development in Alaska.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the Bureau of Land Management and the National Park Service reissued right-of-way permits for the Ambler Access Road following President Trump’s instruction issued on October 6, 2025. The project is a 211-mile road connecting the Dalton Highway to the Ambler Mining District, containing large deposits of copper, gallium, germanium and cobalt. 

DOI issued a new Record of Decision (ROD) for the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) Coastal Plain Oil and Gas Leasing Program, which acknowledges local voices, unlocks millions of acres of oil- and gas-rich lands for responsible production, and ensures crucial safeguards for the area. The Coastal Plain is estimated to hold up to 11 billion barrels of oil.

DOI also granted a land exchange between the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) and the King Cove Corporation (KCC). This exchange advances the possibility of a road corridor to improve safety, public health, and quality of life in rural Alaska.

Under the Alaska Native Vietnam Veterans Land Allotment Program, DOI awarded 160-acre federal land allotments to three Alaska Native veterans of the Vietnam War. These allotments are given to veterans who missed the original application period due to their service.