Protecting the Future of Alaska’s Western Arctic
A proposed rule would streamline permitting for oil and gas development in Alaska’s Western Arctic, with potential implications for globally important wildlife habitat and Indigenous subsistence resources.
Words by Lauren Cusimano
Communications Manager, Audubon Alaska
Photography by
Gerrit Vyn
Published October 16, 2026
This article is from Audubon Alaska
. Find Audubon near you here.
The Western Arctic’s wetlands, lakes, and tundra provide essential habitat for millions of migratory birds and other wildlife, sustain Indigenous subsistence livelihoods, and store vast amounts of carbon. Proposed changes to oil infrastructure permitting could have significant implications for this landscape—and the public has until November 9 to weigh in on its future.
What is being proposed?
On September 4, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) announced a proposed rule to accelerate oil and gas permitting in the 23-million-acre National Petroleum Reserve–Alaska (NPR–A), the largest tract of public land in the United States. The proposal raises questions about the protection of sensitive habitat and wildlife, and presents challenges for communities who depend on the Western Arctic for subsistence resources and practices.
The NPR–A has long been managed for multiple values, including oil and gas development, wildlife, and subsistence. However, the proposed “National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska Production Site Development” rule would streamline permitting for qualifying oil and gas production sites by allowing the BLM to rely on a broad environmental impact statement rather than conducting a new, project-level environmental review for each location.
As climate change disproportionately impacts this region of the Arctic, continued site-specific environmental evaluation is needed to account for evolving environmental and ecological conditions. This approach would not fully account for physical and ecological changes to habitats, shifts in wildlife ranges, or dynamic subsistence activity patterns. In addition, the proposed changes would require consequential decisions to be made within 60 days of application completeness. Such a shift in process would curtail public input and the quality of decision-making.
This proposed rule follows several policy changes that have impacted the NPR–A. In 2025, protections for the region’s fragile habitats were rolled back, and a new land management plan opened nearly 82% of the region to oil and gas leasing. In March 2026, a lease sale drew bids on 187 tracts, including areas along the shores of Teshekpuk Lake. Today, there are 3.7 million acres of active leases on this landscape.
Why does this matter to conservation?
The NPR–A supports millions of migratory birds traveling from six continents, including Yellow-billed Loons, Spectacled Eiders, and Steller’s Eiders, all species of conservation concern. At the heart of this landscape, the Teshekpuk Lake Special Area provides critical nesting and molting habitat. Each spring, approximately 600,000 shorebirds return to the region to nest, while up to 100,000 Brant, Greater White-fronted Geese, Cackling Geese, and Snow Geese gather at Teshekpuk Lake to molt. These wetlands also provide vital refueling grounds for long-distance migrations.
The Western Arctic supports the Teshekpuk Lake Caribou Herd, which has sustained Indigenous communities for generations. Its interconnected ecosystems also provide denning habitat for polar bears, resting areas for walruses and seals, and habitat for fish such as Arctic char and whitefish.
In its draft analysis under Section 810 of the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act, the BLM found that the proposed rule could significantly restrict subsistence uses of wildlife. Potential consequences include reduced access to traditional foods, disrupted caribou migration and calving, increased noise and traffic, and longer travel routes around industrial infrastructure. The agency also acknowledged cumulative impacts on wild foods as oil development expands.
The Western Arctic also helps regulate the climate by storing vast amounts of carbon in its tundra, wetlands, and permafrost. Oil and gas infrastructure and activities—including roads, pipelines, and seismic exploration—can disturb these fragile landscapes. As the Arctic warms four times faster than the rest of the planet, such disturbances can accelerate permafrost thaw and release stored carbon into the atmosphere.
How can the public participate?
Public input can help shape decisions affecting this globally significant landscape and the people and wildlife that depend on it. The BLM is accepting public comments on the proposed rule and its supporting environmental analysis through November 9.
See Audubon’s action alert and add your voice today!
