Burgum’s NPR-A plan will include leasing of ecologically sensitive coastal wetlands north and west of where ConocoPhillips is developing Willow. The Teshekpuk Lake area near the Alaska Beaufort Sea coast, for example, is a prime nesting area for migrating waterfowl. The Teshekpuk area is also judged to have significant petroleum potential but has been protected through several presidential administrations including Republican-led ones. It is unknown whether Burgum will now offer this. If it is proposed for leasing, it will draw challenges not only from major conservation groups but also sport hunters interested in protecting migratory birds. Not all lands in the Teshekpuk area are sensitive, however. Former Interior Secretary Haaland expanded the protected area around the lake south, and there are hopes new Interior Secretary Burgum will roll this back to the original protected area, which was established under former President Bill Clinton. Similarly, Haaland had expanded a protected area along the Colville River to the west. There are hopes this can also be reversed. A third part of Burgum’s order will be of strategic importance to Alaska. It would transfer lands in the Trans Alaska Pipeline System federal land corridor to the state. It has long been a state priority to gain control of this area. The state has worked for years to get an old public land order lifted that restricts access to the so-called TAPS corridor, and that dates from the 1970s. Meanwhile, it appears the 1970s-era public land orders restricting federal lands for other parts of the state were left in place by Haaland, although this could change. These are areas in the eastern Interior, Northwest Alaska and other regions that make up the 38 million acres of lands where Haaland reaffirmed continued closures last year. One aspect of this is that in some of the public land orders (they differ by area), lifting the restriction would make the land eligible for federal mining claims to be filed, raising concerns among tribal groups of a “land rush” of claims staking. It’s not clear why the Secretary left this in restricted status, but it may be to allow time for Alaska Native corporations and the state to sort out their own claims to lands. All of this stems from the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act of 1971 (ANCSA) when Congress withdrew lands to entry across large areas of land under Sections d-1 and d-2 of the act. The d-2 withdrawals were made to set aside lands for new national parks, wildlife refuges and forests, to be created in the 1980 Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act (ANILCA). The d-1 lands were withdrawn to allow Alaska Native corporations to select their lands under ANCSA. However, the d-1 lands are still withdrawn under the decades-old public land orders. VVOOLLUUMMEE1 2| I|SI S US UE E2 2| S| US PMRMI NE GR 2 0 2 54 www.AKRDC.org 19 Providing Alaska with experienced professionals and specialized equipment to handle all your environmental solutions needs. · Industrial Tank Cleaning · Waste Treatment, Recycling, and Disposal · Confined Space Entry and Cleaning · Decontamination · Hydro Excavation Services, Liquid Vacuum Truck Services · Transportation, Frac Tanks, Waste Containers · Settling Pond, Oil Water Separator and Sump Cleaning www.republicservices.com/ES | 833.246.3367 Emergency Response: 800.899.4672
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MTcxMjMwNg==