California Attorney General Rob Bonta, together with attorneys general from Illinois, Minnesota, Vermont, and Washington, has submitted a comment letter to the U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) opposing a proposed federal rule that would rescind protections for the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska (NPR-A). The coalition argues that the proposed rule would reverse environmental safeguards put in place during the Biden Administration and open up large portions of the NPR-A to oil and gas development.
The proposed rule follows an executive order issued by President Trump on his first day in office, which declared a “national energy emergency” under the National Emergencies Act. Under this directive, BLM seeks to open about 82 percent of the 23-million-acre reserve to oil and gas leasing. This move would reverse previous protections that had set aside nearly 13 million acres as “Special Areas” where drilling was not allowed.
Attorney General Bonta criticized the proposal, stating: “Instead of protecting these fragile ecosystems that wildlife and communities depend on, the Trump Administration is turning these areas into cash-grabs for its Big Oil friends. The federal government must reverse course on this rule immediately.”
The attorneys general argue that eliminating these protections will increase carbon emissions, which could accelerate climate change impacts such as extreme heat, stronger storms, and rising sea levels across all states. They also highlight risks to migratory wildlife that rely on these habitats, including species that migrate through or overwinter in California.
In their letter, the coalition states:
– BLM’s proposed rule would eliminate safeguards for over 13 million acres in areas that Native communities rely on for cultural traditions, exposing those areas to significant harms attributable to drilling and industrial infrastructure.
– Expanding drilling will threaten resident and migratory wildlife, heighten the potential for oil spills in Arctic ecosystems, and increase greenhouse gas emissions.
– The rule is in violation of the National Environmental Policy Act.
A copy of the comment letter is available online.
