JUNEAU – In response to the new rule issued by the Biden Administration that prohibits petroleum development in 13 million acres of the National Petroleum Reserve – Alaska (NPR-A) and 2.8 million acres of the Beaufort Sea. Representative Thomas Baker (R-Kotzebue) of District 40 issued the following statement:
“The Secretary of Interior and the Biden Administration have failed to represent the interests of the Indigenous people of Alaska, especially the Inupiat people residing within the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska. Earlier this winter the organizations in my District spoke in unanimous favor of withdrawing the Bureau of Land Management’s proposed ruling and requested that the agency truly engage with the impacted communities. They requested that an economic analysis be conducted as required by law and agency policy. The BLM and Department of Interior refused the requests of the representative organizations of my district, the same kind of tribal organizations that the Biden Administration has pledged to respect and work with.”
“The placation of special interest groups who do not reside in the North Slope, let alone Alaska, over proper consultation, and inclusion of the original stewards of our lands is disheartening to say the least. We as Inupiat people should have the first and final say in what happens to the land we have inhabited and coexisted with for thousands of years. Our voices should no longer be ignored.”
Rep. Baker concluded: “I will continue to do everything in my power to represent the interests of those who reside in my District, to fight for what is right.”
The Alaska House Majority will continue to advocate for responsible resource development throughout the state by working with fellow legislators and our federal delegation.