Lawsuits Challenge Renewed Push for Oil Drilling in Alaska Petroleum Reserve

Conservation groups and Iñupiat community file legal challenges to upcoming lease sale in ecologically sensitive areas.

Published on Feb. 20, 2026

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Conservation organizations and an Iñupiat group have filed lawsuits challenging the Trump administration's renewed push for oil and gas development in the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska. The lawsuits claim the upcoming March 18 lease sale improperly makes available ecologically sensitive lands that have been long protected, including areas near Teshekpuk Lake and the Colville River. The plaintiffs argue the lease sale is based on flawed environmental reviews and land management plans.

Why it matters

The National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska provides critical habitat for a variety of wildlife, including caribou, bears, wolves, and millions of migratory birds. The ongoing debate over how much of the reserve should be open for development highlights the tension between resource extraction and environmental protection in the region.

The details

The lawsuits were filed in federal courts in Alaska and Washington, D.C. by groups including Earthjustice, the Center for Biological Diversity, Friends of the Earth, The Wilderness Society, and Grandmothers Growing Goodness. The plaintiffs argue that the Bureau of Land Management's management plan for the reserve unlawfully removes lands from the Teshekpuk Lake Special Area and eliminates the Colville River Special Area, which were previously designated for maximum protection of significant resource values.

  • The upcoming lease sale is scheduled for March 18, 2026.
  • The Trump administration's renewed push for oil and gas development in the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska began in recent years.

The players

Earthjustice

A non-profit environmental law organization that filed one of the lawsuits on behalf of the Center for Biological Diversity and Friends of the Earth.

The Wilderness Society

A conservation organization that filed one of the lawsuits, along with Grandmothers Growing Goodness, an Iñupiat group.

U.S. Department of Interior

The federal agency named as a defendant in the lawsuits, along with the U.S. Bureau of Land Management and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Teshekpuk Lake

The largest lake in Alaska's arctic region, which provides important habitat and is located in an area the lawsuits claim should be off-limits to leasing.

Colville River

A river and associated wetlands that provide habitat for nesting raptors and support subsistence activities for North Slope residents, in an area the lawsuits claim should be protected from leasing.

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What’s next

The courts will need to rule on the lawsuits before the planned March 18 lease sale can proceed.

The takeaway

This legal challenge highlights the ongoing tension between oil and gas development and environmental protection in Alaska's sensitive Arctic regions, with conservation groups arguing that ecologically important areas should remain off-limits to drilling.