BLM seeks input, nominations for oil and gas lease sale in Coastal Plain of Arctic National Wildlife Refuge
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ANCHORAGE, Alaska – Today the Bureau of Land Management took a key step toward holding a lease sale in the Coastal Plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge by seeking comments and nominations of lands to be considered for leasing.
“Since passage of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017, the BLM has had a clear congressional mandate to administer a competitive oil and gas program for the Coastal Plain,” said BLM Alaska State Director Kevin Pendergast. “With the new decision in place, bolstered by Congress’ recent and emphatic direction in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, this lease sale process provides a clear path forward to finally unlock the Coastal Plain’s resource potential.”
A call for nominations and comments notice will publish in tomorrow’s Federal Register to solicit feedback on what tracts should be made available in a lease sale this winter, which will be the first lease sale in the 1.56-million-acre Coastal Plain following passage of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act in July.
This announcement comes after the Department of the Interior issued a new record of decision in October reopening the 1.56-million-acre Coastal Plain to oil and gas development, reversing the previous administration’s 2024 plan that offered only the statutory minimum amount of acreage, and placed other restrictions that made development all but impossible. Today’s action advances the President’s direction to unleash Alaska’s extraordinary resource potential, consistent with Executive Order 14153 and Secretary’s Order 3422.
Under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, the BLM must hold no fewer than four lease sales in the Coastal Plain by 2035, with each sale offering at least 400,000 acres for lease. When developing sales, the BLM can consider tracts currently available for leasing under the 2025 Coastal Plain Oil and Gas Leasing Program Record of Decision.
Interested parties may nominate or comment on tracts until March 5, 2026. Additional information, including a map showing available areas and legal descriptions of the tracts, are available on the BLM Alaska Oil and Gas Lease Sales website.
After the 30-day period ends, the BLM will review nominations and comments received to determine what tracts to offer in the upcoming lease sale. The BLM will formally announce the lease sale with a notice of sale in the Federal Register at least 30 days in advance.
BLM held lease sales in the Coastal Plain in 2021 and 2025 under direction in the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017. The 2021 sale resulted in nine leases issued, while the 2025 sale resulted in no bids.
The BLM manages about 245 million acres of public land located primarily in 12 western states, including Alaska, on behalf of the American people. The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. Our mission is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of America’s public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations.