The Department of the Interior announced Thursday that it was opening the entire 1.56 million acre Coastal Plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to oil and gas leases.⁠ ⁠ The decision is the latest development in a decades-long battle over the development of pristine wilderness to access up to 11.8 billion barrels of recoverable oil beneath the tundra. The DOI also said it would reinstate seven oil leases in the refuge acquired by the state of Alaska in 2021, but that had been canceled in 2023 by the Biden administration. Oil and gas lease sales will begin as soon as this winter. In the meantime, the Bureau of Land Management is calling for nominations on what tracts should be offered for sale. The BLM also released a new Record of Decision on Thursday to coincide with the announcement, effectively replacing the agency’s December plan.⁠ ⁠ Tap the link in profile for the full story 🔗⁠ ⁠ #conservation #outdoors #nature #wildlife #habitat #arcticnationalwildliferefuge #oil #gas #A...