Washington, D.C. — Today, U.S. Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland restored protections for 28 million acres of public lands in Alaska. The action protects a sweeping area that is 37 times the size of Yosemite National Park and a critical source of subsistence for Alaska Natives. These lands came under threat in 2021, when the Trump administration attempted to strip existing protections—referred to as “D-1 withdrawals”—and open the door for industrial development. In alignment with calls from more than half of the federally recognized Tribes in Alaska, the Biden-Harris administration officially returned full protections to these invaluable areas today.
In response, Drew McConville, senior fellow at the Center for American Progress, issued the following statement:
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.
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