move regulations that are inconsis - tent with the Naval Petroleum Re - serves Production Act of 1976, and restore the original intent of the Act for the management of the area, while eliminating roadblocks to re - sponsible energy production. The action followed a detailed legal and policy review, after which U.S. Bureau of Land Management and Interior Department officials concluded that Biden’s rule exceeds the agency’s statutory authority under the 1976 NPR-A act, conflicts with the Act’s purpose, and impos - es unnecessary barriers to respon - sible energy development in the pe - troleum reserve. The reserve, formerly Naval Pe - troleum Reserve No. 4, was set aside by Congress for oil and gas explora - tion and development as a matter of national energy security. The BLM administers the reserve under the NPR-A, which mandates an “ex - peditious program of competitive leasing” while balancing the pro - tection of surface resources. “Congress was clear: the Nation - al Petroleum Reserve in Alaska was
set aside to support America’s en - ergy security through responsible development,” Secretary Burgum said. “The 2024 rule ignored that mandate, prioritizing obstruction over production and undermining our ability to harness domestic re - sources at a time when American energy independence has never been more critical. We’re restoring the balance and putting our energy future back on track.” The 2024 rule significantly ex - panded procedural requirements and created a presumption against oil and gas activity in approximate - ly 13 million acres on the reserve designated as “Special Areas” un - less operators could prove minimal or no adverse effects on surface re - sources, a difficult standard. These provisions lack a basis in the NPR-A Act and also undermine the BLM’s obligation to carry out an effective and timely leasing pro - gram. Under the proposed rule rescis - sion, the BLM would revert to the CONTINUED on PAGE 14
Previous orders were ‘obstruction over production’ The U.S. Department of the In - terior will roll back restrictive land management regulations on the 23-million-acre National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska that were adopted by former President Joe Biden, Sec - retary of the Interior Doug Burgum has announced. Biden’s rule expanded protected areas in the reserve including an unusual plan for “floating” pro - tected areas where, in five-year in - tervals the Interior Secretary could establish new areas for protection or enlarge existing ones. The ink was hardly dry on Biden’s restrictive NPR-A regulations when former Interior Secretary Deb Haa - land issued a call for proposed new protected areas. President Donald Trump was elected and took office before that could be done, however. Rescinding the 2024 rule will re -
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