This resolution cancels a Bureau of Land Management decision, issued in December 2024, that governed the Coastal Plain Oil and Gas Leasing Program in Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Congress determined the agency's record of decision qualifies as a rule under the Congressional Review Act and voted to void it, meaning the decision will have no legal effect going forward. The move affects future oil and gas leasing and development on federal land in the refuge's coastal plain, an area with wildlife habitat and drilling rights disputed for decades. Because the Government Accountability Office confirmed the record of decision counted as a CRA-eligible rule, the agency is also barred from issuing a substantially similar decision without new congressional authorization. The practical effect is that BLM's plan for how leasing proceeds in the coastal plain reverts to whatever policy governed before the December 2024 decision.
Environmental Concerns
- Arctic Refuge leasing limits — BLM's 2024 restriction decision nullified via CRA disapproval
Congressional Summary
This joint resolution opens public land for oil and gas leasing in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Specifically, the joint resolution nullifies the record of decision (ROD) issued by the Bureau of Land Management on December 9, 2024, for the program that leases, develops, produces, and transports oil and gas in and from the Coastal Plain program area within the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.The 2024 ROD that is being nullified by this resolution replaced the 2020 ROD that made all of the approximately 1.6 million acres of the program area available for oil and gas leasing. The 2024 ROD made approximately 1.2 million acres unavailable for leasing or exploration in order to protect and conserve resources and certain uses in these areas. However, the 2024 ROD requires the statutory minimum of 400,000 acres to be made available for oil and gas leasing in a specified lease sale, subject to certain stipulations and operating procedures. Under current law, those acres must be located in the areas with the highest potential for the discovery of hydrocarbons.
Legislative Subjects
Details
- Congress
- 119th
- Chamber
- House
- Status
- summarized
- Action
- Public Law
- Action Date
- 2025-12-11
- Date Added
- 2026-07-10
- Source
- Congress.gov →
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