Washington, D.C. — Today, the Trump administration announced plans to auction off drilling rights in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge on January 6. The rush to hold the lease sale comes despite the fact that a prior step in the official process has not been completed. In response, Matt Lee-Ashley, a senior fellow specializing in public lands and environmental policy at the Center for American Progress, issued the following statement:
The Trump administration is hell-bent on selling off the Arctic Refuge on its way out the door, rules and laws be damned. But they have made a complete mess of the leasing process. They have suppressed science, cut corners, and ignored the rights and voices of the Gwich’in people. This whole boondoggle can and should be tossed in the trash by the courts or the next administration.
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