Interior Department Moves to Gut Protections in the Western Arctic 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 
Date: 6/2/2025 
Contact: Anja Semanco | 724-967-2777 | anja@alaskawild.org 

Interior Department Moves to Gut Protections in the Western Arctic 

As the Interior moves to rescind the 2024 rule on Alaska’s Western Arctic, Kristen Miller, Executive Director at Alaska Wilderness League, released the following statement: 

“The Trump administration’s move to roll back protections in the most ecologically important areas of the Western Arctic threatens wildlife, local communities, and our climate — all to appease extractive industries. This is another outrageous attempt to sell off public lands to oil industry billionaires at the expense of one of the wildest places left in America,” said Kristen Miller, Executive Director of Alaska Wilderness League. “These lands are home to caribou, migratory birds, and vital subsistence resources that Indigenous communities have relied on for generations. The public fought hard for these protections, and we won’t stay silent while they’re dismantled.” 

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Photo courtesy of Florian Schulz