Trump Administration Moves Forward With Controversial Drilling in Alaska Wilderness .
The Trump administration is seeking to advance oil exploration in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR).
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Earlier this year, Trump and his administration finalized their decision to open up the ANWR’s 1.56 million acre costal plain for leasing.
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Now, the Bureau of Land Management’s Alaska state office will reportedly publish “requests for nominations” on Tuesday.
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The specifics are unknown, but the site describes it as a “Coastal Plain Alaska Oil and Gas Lease Sale.”.
The move forward is being largely criticized by environmentalists, as President-elect Joe Biden has pledged to “permanently protect” the ANWR.
Biden’s efforts may be complicated if Trump’s administration sells drilling rights prior to Biden’s inauguration in January 2021.
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The ANWR, compromised of 19 million acres, is home to polar bears, gray wolves, caribou and more than 200 bird species.
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If drilling is allowed in the ANWR, opponents believe it could negatively affect the landscape, harm the animal species and exacerbate climate change.