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 target an upcoming March 18 lease sale that they say 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 oil and gas development pits economic interests against environmental and subsistence concerns of local Iñupiat communities.

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. They argue that the upcoming lease sale improperly includes tracts of land in areas near Teshekpuk Lake and the Colville River that were previously designated as off-limits due to their ecological significance. The plaintiffs say the Bureau of Land Management has provided no rationale for including these sensitive areas in the lease sale.

  • 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 group that filed one of the lawsuits, along with Grandmothers Growing Goodness, an Iñupiat community group.

U.S. Department of Interior

The federal agency overseeing the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska and named as a defendant in the lawsuits.

U.S. Bureau of Land Management

The federal agency responsible for managing the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska and named as a defendant in the lawsuits.

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

The federal agency named as a defendant in one of the lawsuits filed by Earthjustice.

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What’s next

The courts will need to rule on the lawsuits challenging the upcoming lease sale and the Bureau of Land Management's decisions regarding the protection of sensitive areas within the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska.

The takeaway

This legal battle highlights the ongoing tensions between oil and gas development and environmental protection in Alaska's ecologically significant National Petroleum Reserve. The outcome could have far-reaching implications for the future management and use of this vast public land.