Community leaders told the Daily Caller News Foundation that the Alaska Natives celebrated the Department of the Interior (DOI) decision to restore the lease and expansion of Alaska oil and gas. [emphasis, links added]
DOI announced Thursday that DOI Secretary Doug Burgum “takes immediate steps to unlock the untapped natural resources potential of Alaska and supports President Donald Trump’s vision for U.S. energy advantages” [by] Reopening oil drilling in areas where the Biden administration has previously moved to close.
Aboriginal community leaders in Alaska told DCNF that the DOI under the Trump administration has taken a step in a “favorable” direction.
“It’s cautious optimism,” Nagruk Harcharek, president of the nonprofit Arctic Iñupiaat (voice), told DCNF, which represents 21 different Native American companies and communities.
“We feel we will be able to do something with more favorable management, but we are also cautious about it because we don’t want to threaten the cultural foundation and lifestyle we rely on every day.”
Drilling activities are open again for development on the coastal plains of the Alaska National Petroleum Reserve (NPR-A) and the Arctic Wildlife National Refuge (ANWR) after the Biden administration proposed a proposed 2023 rule to close the 2024 development rules.
Voice and its members announced that they “appreciate the U.S. department for the internal actions of the North Slope” in a press release shared with DCNF on March 20.
“This is just a surprise that comes with a constant surprise.” Harcharek reviews the Biden administration's actions against the DCNF.
Harcharek mentioned that the last administration claimed to be “the friendliest government in American history” even though the native communities in the North Slope of Alaska “didn't get that sentiment.”
Harcharek said the Biden administration promised on paper “to engage in meaningful consultations with Indigenous communities most affected by policy decisions” and they “hopefully include it in dialogue in the national oil reserves.”
He said that although this affected the “backyard” of his community, “consultation was very rare.”
“Generally, we are discovering policy changes in the news,” Harcharek said. “When they have our phone number, that’s not ideal.”
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