Arctic Refuge Protection Act
Summary
What This Bill Does
The Arctic Refuge Protection Act reverses the 2017 law that created an oil and gas leasing program for the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. It repeals section 20001 of Public Law 115-97, eliminating the statutory oil and gas program. It then designates about 1,559,538 acres of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge coastal plain in Alaska, as shown on the October 20, 2015 map titled Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, Coastal Plain Proposed Wilderness, as part of the National Wilderness Preservation System. The Interior Secretary must administer the newly designated area under the Wilderness Act as part of the refuge wilderness area that already exists on enactment.
Who Benefits and How
Arctic Refuge wildlife habitat benefits because the coastal plain would receive Wilderness Act protection. Conservation organizations benefit from repeal of the refuge oil and gas program and permanent wilderness designation. Indigenous communities concerned about refuge protection benefit if wilderness status reduces drilling-related ecological disruption. Interior wilderness managers benefit from a clear mandate to administer the 1,559,538-acre area as part of the existing refuge wilderness.
Who Bears the Burden and How
Oil companies interested in Arctic Refuge leases lose the statutory leasing program created in 2017. The State of Alaska may lose potential oil and gas revenue tied to the repealed coastal plain leasing program. Interior Department land managers must administer the added acreage under Wilderness Act restrictions. Energy developers face a higher legal barrier to exploration, leasing, and infrastructure in the designated coastal plain.
Key Provisions
- Repeals the 2017 Arctic National Wildlife Refuge oil and gas program.
- Designates about 1,559,538 acres of the refuge coastal plain as wilderness.
- Uses the October 20, 2015 coastal plain proposed wilderness map for the designation.
- Requires Interior to administer the area under the Wilderness Act as part of existing refuge wilderness.
Evidence Chain:
This summary is generated from the full bill text using AI analysis. Expand "Detailed Analysis" below for identified beneficiaries/burden bearers with clause-level evidence links.
At a Glance
What This Bill Does
Repeals the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge oil and gas program and designates about 1,559,538 acres of the refuge coastal plain as wilderness.
Key Policy Areas
Public Lands, Energy, Conservation
Primary Purpose
Repeals the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge oil and gas program and designates about 1,559,538 acres of the refuge coastal plain as wilderness.
Policy Domains
Resolution provisions
Identified Gains
- Arctic Refuge wildlife habitat
- Conservation organizations
- Indigenous communities concerned about refuge protection
- Interior wilderness managers
Identified Costs
- Oil companies interested in Arctic Refuge leases
- State of Alaska
- Interior Department land managers
- Energy developers
Sponsors
Legislative Progress
In CommitteeMr. Huffman (for himself, Ms. Brownley, Ms. DeGette, Mr. Beyer, …
Referred to the House Committee on Natural Resources.
Introduced in House
Stakeholder Effects
cui bono?How this legislation distributes effects. Mention counts reflect frequency, not effect magnitude.
Indigenous communities concerned about refuge protection, Interior Department land managers, State of Alaska
Positive-direction: Indigenous communities concerned about refuge protection
Negative-direction: Interior Department land managers, State of Alaska
Arctic Refuge wildlife habitat, Conservation organizations
Bill Structure & Actor Mappings
Who is "The Secretary" in each section?
We use a combination of our own taxonomy and classification in addition to large language models to assess meaning and potential beneficiaries. High confidence means strong textual evidence. Always verify with the original bill text.
Learn more about our methodology