Energy & Environment

Trump schedules controversial drilling auction in Alaska wildlife refuge

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by Rachel Frazin - 04/17/26 1:18 PM ET

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by Rachel Frazin - 04/17/26 1:18 PM ET

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The Trump administration has officially scheduled an auction for the rights to drill in a controversial spot: a wildlife refuge in Alaska.

The auction, in which companies will be able to bid for the right to drill in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, is set for June 5.

The Trump administration declined to immediately say how many acres of land would be made available for lease. A spokesperson for the Bureau of Land Management said this information would be available on the bureau’s website early next week.

Republicans, in their One Big Beautiful Bill Act, required the government to hold four oil and gas lease sales in the refuge.

The issue of whether to drill there has been contested for many years.

The refuge is home to grizzly bears, polar bears, gray wolves, caribou and more than 200 species of birds and contains land considered sacred by the Gwich’in people.

Opponents of drilling there say that energy production could cause harm to the animals and land.

Supporters say it will bolster the local economy.

“President Trump has long supported Alaska’s important contribution to American energy dominance and Interior is proud to take the necessary and durable steps to unleash these important resources on behalf of the American people,” Deputy Interior Secretary Kate MacGregor said in a written statement.

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