Grandmothers Growing Goodness, Sovereign Iñupiat for a Living Arctic CondemnTrump’s Decision to Roll Back Protections for Western Arctic

(Nuiqsut, Alaska / Washington, DC) – The Trump Administration just announced a final rule rescinding the 2024 Bureau of Land Management rule that protected 13 million acres in the National Petroleum Reserve - Alaska (NPR-A). Over 300,000 people, including frontline Indigenous communities, spoke out against this decision during a public comment period. This region is home to Indigenous communities, ecologically critical landscapes like Teshekpuk Lake, wildlife, and so much more, all of which are threatened by expanding oil and gas drilling. Grandmothers Growing Goodness, Sovereign Iñupiat for a Living Arctic (SILA), and Native Movement submitted comments expressing strong opposition to any rescission or weakening of the 2024 NPR-A Rule.

“We are extremely disheartened that the Trump Administration announced it will take away protections for our lands in the Western Arctic. This isn’t about unlocking Alaska’s energy potential or strengthening energy security, it’s about giving even more to polluting corporations, no matter who gets hurt in the process,” said Rosemary Ahtuangaruak, Executive Director of Grandmothers Growing Goodness. “We rely on these lands to survive, and once they are destroyed because of President Trump’s affinity for the rich and wealthy, we will never get them back. It is imperative that our leaders recognize the extremely dangerous path the Trump Administration is taking us down before it's too late.”

“This isn’t just a policy reversal—it’s an unraveling of years of Indigenous-led advocacy, public input, and hard-won protections. The Teshekpuk Lake and Colville River Special Areas aren’t abstract lines on a map—they are living systems, cultural lifelines, and places of deep ancestral significance. To strip protections from these lands is to erase not only ecological safeguards, but the very relationships that sustain our communities,” said Nauri Simmonds, Executive Director of Sovereign Iñupiat for a Living Arctic. “Each time these decisions are made without us, it leaves a bruise on something sacred. It’s not just policy—it’s a pattern of disregard that weighs heavy on the hearts of those who live there and those who have fought for years to protect what cannot be replaced. We are not asking for perfection—we are asking to be heard, to be respected, and to be part of shaping a future that honors both land and life.”

The 2024 protections were hard-fought safeguards that reflect years of advocacy and input from Indigenous communities, scientists, and conservation experts. These rules are essential for protecting food security, cultural traditions, and public health in Iñupiat communities that have lived in balance with this land for generations.

The Western Arctic is facing more devastating threats, including drilling this winter and Congressionally mandated lease sales that would harm the Indigenous communities and wildlife that rely on a healthy Arctic landscape for their subsistence, way of life, and habitat.

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