Senate OKs expanded oil and gas development in Arctic

ANCHORAGE, ALASKA (July 1, 2025) – The U.S. Senate today passed its version of a budget reconciliation bill that poses a grave threat to America’s Arctic by mandating at least four oil and gas lease sales in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and at least five lease sales in the Western Arctic’s National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska. The legislation now returns to the House of Representatives.

In response, The Wilderness Society released the following statement from Alaska senior manager Meda DeWitt:

"Yet again, we see Congress—under the influence of the oil industry—disregard the will of the people and the urgent reality of the climate crisis. By pushing to open the Arctic’s sacred public lands to drilling, they are prioritizing tax breaks for the wealthy over the health of our planet and the survival of Alaska Native Peoples.

“These lands are not just wilderness on a map—they are the source of clean water, food security, cultural continuity, and spiritual identity for the Alaska Native communities who have cared for them since time immemorial. Once more, we are being forced to defend what should be protected: our right to exist in relationship with our homelands. Meanwhile, the rest of the country is left to endure the escalating consequences of climate breakdown, when we should instead be investing in a just and sustainable energy future."

Oil and gas drilling would have devastating impacts on wild landscapes and fragile ecosystems across the Arctic, caused by the massive infrastructure needed to extract and transport oil, as well as inevitable spills of oil and other toxic substances.  In addition to worsening the climate crisis, expanded development would destroy habitat for caribou, polar bears and migrating birds from around the globe.