For generations, the federal government has recognized Alaska as a treasure trove of resources, a perspective that gained significant momentum and intensity under the Trump administration. Governor Mike Dunleavy notably encapsulated this viewpoint in 2018 after meeting with then-President Trump, declaring Alaska "America’s natural resource warehouse." This sentiment underscores a foundational belief in the strategic importance of Alaska’s subterranean and arboreal riches for national energy security and economic growth. However, this period of heightened development pressure echoes a pivotal era in the late 1970s, when the negotiation and eventual passage of the landmark Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act (ANILCA) similarly thrust the state into the national spotlight, as noted by Philip Wight, an Arctic energy historian at the University of Alaska Fairbanks. ANILCA, enacted in 1980, designated over 100 million acres of federal land in Alaska for conservation, establishing national parks, wildlife refuges, and wilderness areas, and remains a cornerstone of the state’s conservation framework.

What distinguishes the current political and environmental landscape, Wight explains, is the unprecedented alignment of a unified federal government actively championing multiple contentious development proposals simultaneously. This concerted effort faces fewer dissenting voices from moderate Republican factions, a stark contrast to previous decades, while environmental conservation organizations often contend with systemic funding issues and coordinated political attacks that have diminished their collective influence. This confluence of factors creates a challenging environment for those advocating for stricter environmental protections.

While acknowledging Alaska’s centuries-long history as a resource territory, Wight critically observes that the immense wealth generated from these resources has too frequently enriched outside corporations and national interests without significantly improving the long-term welfare of everyday Alaskans. Paradoxically, despite being a major energy producer, residents still bear some of the nation’s highest energy costs, a burden exacerbated by the accelerating impacts of climate change. Permafrost thaw, coastal erosion, and altered wildlife migration patterns are already threatening existing infrastructure and posing significant risks to proposed projects, demanding a reevaluation of traditional development models. "While Alaska has much to gain from developing our resources, we also have much to lose," Wight cautions, articulating the delicate balance at stake. This critical juncture highlights the profound societal and environmental trade-offs inherent in these monumental decisions, impacting not only local communities but also holding global implications for climate stability and biodiversity.

The following are some of the most prominent hotspots currently at the nexus of these fierce debates:

Logging the Tongass National Forest

Last summer, the U.S. Department of Agriculture ignited a new chapter in the ongoing saga of the Tongass National Forest by announcing plans to rescind the Roadless Rule. This pivotal regulatory shift aims to open up over 9 million acres of the Tongass—the largest national forest in the United States and the world’s largest intact temperate rainforest—to new road-building, logging, and extensive development. The Roadless Rule, initially established during the Clinton administration, protects tens of millions of acres of national forest land across the country from industrial development, safeguarding vital ecosystems. Its history in Alaska has been a political pendulum, rolled back by the Trump administration in 2020 only to be reinstated by the Biden administration in 2023. The proposed rescission marks another significant swing in this contentious policy.

The Tongass is an ecological marvel, a globally significant carbon sink that absorbs vast amounts of atmospheric carbon dioxide, playing a crucial role in mitigating climate change. Its ancient, old-growth forests support an extraordinary array of biodiversity, including all five species of Pacific salmon, brown bears, wolves, and eagles. For the diverse communities of Southeast Alaska, including numerous Indigenous tribes, the forest is not merely a resource but a cultural and economic lifeline. "People depend on it for subsistence, for hunting, for fishing, for a tourism economy, for recreation," emphasizes Nathan Newcomer, an advocate for the Tongass with the Southeast Alaska Conservation Council. He highlights the delicate balance between the timber industry, which seeks to revive logging operations, and the thriving tourism and fishing industries that rely on a pristine environment. A draft environmental impact statement from the U.S. Department of Agriculture is anticipated in March 2026, with the ambitious goal of finalizing a new rulemaking process by the end of next year. Concurrently, reports indicate the Trump administration is actively working to reopen international markets for timber harvested from the Tongass, signaling a renewed push for large-scale commercial logging.

Development in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR)

America’s largest and northernmost wildlife refuge, ANWR, spans an immense 19 million acres, stretching from the state’s established Prudhoe Bay oil fields to the Canadian border. This pristine wilderness is home to iconic Arctic wildlife, including polar bears, caribou, muskoxen, and numerous migratory bird species that travel from six continents. Its coastal plain, a critical calving ground for the Porcupine caribou herd and essential habitat for polar bears, is estimated by the U.S. Geological Survey to contain a staggering 4.3 billion to 11.8 billion barrels of oil, alongside significant quantities of natural gas. However, the feasibility of extracting these reserves remains deeply entangled in a complex web of geopolitical considerations, economic uncertainties, formidable environmental challenges, and ongoing legal battles.

During his first term, President Trump moved aggressively to open the refuge’s 1.57 million-acre coastal plain, often referred to as the "1002 Area," to oil and gas leasing. Since then, two lease sales have taken place. In January 2021, the Alaska Industrial Development and Export Authority (AIDEA), a state-owned public corporation tasked with fostering economic development, secured several leases. Yet, a subsequent sale in January 2025 drew no bids, reflecting the continued uncertainty and controversy surrounding ANWR development. The Biden administration later attempted to cancel AIDEA’s leases, citing environmental concerns and legal deficiencies, but a federal court reinstated them in March 2025, underscoring the legal complexities involved. In his January 20 executive order titled "Unleashing Alaska’s Extraordinary Resource Potential," President Trump explicitly called upon the Secretary of the Interior to "take all necessary steps" to facilitate additional coastal plain lease sales. This directive was followed by a new Record of Decision in October 2025, which controversially opened up the entire coastal plain for potential development. Further escalating the situation, Congress voted last month to strike down a Biden-era land-management plan that had sought to restrict drilling to a smaller, less ecologically sensitive section of the refuge, effectively removing a key layer of protection for ANWR’s vulnerable wildlife.

Oil in the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska (NPR-A)

To the west of the Prudhoe Bay oil fields lies the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska (NPR-A), a vast, federally managed area of approximately 23 million acres specifically designated for its petroleum resources. In October, the Bureau of Land Management initiated a call for nominations for areas to be included in a future lease sale, signaling a renewed push for oil and gas development in this sensitive region. These proposed sales coincide with significant rollbacks on existing protections within the area, potentially opening up more than 18.5 million acres to leasing. This land includes critical habitat for millions of migratory birds that traverse continents and vital calving grounds for the Teshekpuk caribou herd, an essential subsistence resource for Alaska Native communities. Further solidifying this shift, President Trump signed Senate Joint Resolution 80 into law earlier this month, explicitly stripping away restrictions established by the Biden administration in 2022 that were designed to safeguard ecologically delicate areas within the NPR-A from industrial development.

Simultaneously, construction for ConocoPhillips’ massive Willow project, approved under the Biden administration despite widespread environmental opposition, is well underway. This project represents the first major oil development within the NPR-A and is projected to begin oil production before 2030, potentially unlocking significant new domestic crude supplies. Proponents argue Willow will provide thousands of jobs and substantial revenue for Alaska, bolstering energy independence. However, environmental groups and Indigenous communities vehemently oppose it, citing its immense carbon footprint (estimated to release hundreds of millions of metric tons of carbon dioxide over its lifespan) and the irreversible impacts on local wildlife, permafrost, and the traditional hunting and fishing practices of Indigenous peoples who have called this land home for millennia. The project’s approval highlights the persistent tension between short-term economic gains and long-term environmental and climate consequences.

The Road to King Cove

For five decades, the remote Aleut community of King Cove, home to approximately 750 residents, has tirelessly sought an 18-mile, single-lane gravel road connecting them to the all-weather airport in nearby Cold Bay. Proponents argue this road is a critical public safety imperative, offering reliable access to essential medical services that are often inaccessible during severe weather when air and sea travel are impossible. In late October, the Interior Department signed a land exchange agreement to facilitate the road’s construction, which would primarily traverse a portion of the Izembek National Wildlife Refuge. Under this agreement, less than 500 acres of refuge land would be transferred to the Alaska Native Corporation King Cove Corp., which would, in turn, sell 1,739 acres of its private land to be added to the refuge.

While the land swap aims to address long-standing public safety concerns and potentially enhance subsistence access for local residents, it has ignited fervent opposition. In November, several tribal governments—including the Native Village of Paimiut, Native Village of Hooper Bay, and Chevak Native Village—joined forces with prominent environmental groups to file a lawsuit against the administration. Their legal challenge seeks to block the land trade, arguing that the road would fragment and irreparably damage the Izembek National Wildlife Refuge, a wetland complex of international importance. Izembek is a designated Wilderness Area and a critical migratory stopover and wintering ground for millions of birds, including nearly the entire world’s population of Pacific Black Brant geese. Chief Edgar Tall Sr. of the Native Village of Hooper Bay voiced deep concern in a November 12 press release, stating, "If the Izembek road happens, it will cause a lot of chaos for Alaska Native people in my region who still live off the land and sea. The birds we hunt may not be able to survive." This conflict underscores the profound ethical and legal dilemmas inherent in balancing localized human needs with the protection of globally significant ecological sites and Indigenous subsistence rights.

Building the Ambler Road

The proposed 211-mile industrial road to the Ambler Mining District in Alaska’s remote northwest has been embroiled in litigation for years, symbolizing another flashpoint in the state’s resource development battles. In 2024, President Biden’s administration rejected the road plan, citing its anticipated severe impacts on vital wildlife habitat and pristine waterways. An analysis revealed that the project would necessitate approximately 3,000 stream crossings, posing significant threats to fish populations, including sheefish, and critically disrupting the migration patterns of the declining Western Arctic caribou herd—both indispensable subsistence food sources for the Indigenous communities inhabiting the Brooks Range area of Northern Alaska. The decision reflected a commitment to preserving traditional lifestyles and ecological integrity.

However, the political tides swiftly turned. On October 6, President Trump approved an appeal from AIDEA, the Alaska Industrial Development and Export Authority, effectively clearing the path for federal agencies to reissue permits for the controversial road. This move reignited hopes for proponents who see the road as a gateway to unlocking vast mineral wealth. Trump also announced a strategic partnership between the U.S. government and Trilogy Metals, a mining company, involving a $35.6 million investment to support exploration in the Ambler area, with the federal government acquiring a 10% shareholder stake in Trilogy Metals. Later that month, the AIDEA board further committed $50 million for the project’s construction. The road’s ultimate purpose is to open up this extremely remote region, which is known to contain substantial deposits of critical minerals such as copper, silver, gold, lead, and cobalt. These minerals are increasingly vital for global industries, particularly in the manufacturing of renewable energy technologies, electric vehicles, and advanced electronics, placing the Ambler project at the heart of national security and supply chain resilience discussions. Yet, the environmental cost, including the potential for widespread ecological disruption and irreversible harm to Indigenous communities’ traditional ways of life, remains a central and deeply contentious issue.