This bill ends the oil and gas leasing program in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and makes the coastal plain a protected wilderness. It aims to preserve about 1.56 million acres in Alaska for current and future generations.
Who this affects
Department of the Interior
What changes is this bill making?
1Repeals section 20001 of Public Law 115-97 (the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act) that allowed oil and gas leases in the refuge.
2Designates approximately 1,559,538 acres of the coastal plain in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska as wilderness.
3Adds the designated area to the National Wilderness Preservation System under the Wilderness Act (16 U.S.C. 1131 et seq.).
4Requires the Secretary of the Interior to manage the new wilderness area according to the Wilderness Act rules.
5Defines the designated boundary by reference to a map dated October 20, 2015, labeled Map ID 03-0172, on file with the Department of the Interior.
