HJRES 131: Providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the Bureau of Land Management relating to Coastal Plain Oil and Gas Leasing Program Record of Decision.

HJRES 131 in plain English: This joint resolution cancels a 2024 Bureau of Land Management rule that restricted oil and gas leasing in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge's Coastal Plain. By nullifying that rule, the resolution effectively restores the 2020 policy that made all approximately 1.6 million acres of the program area available for leasing, reversing a 2024 decision that had made about 1.2 million of those acres off-limits.

Stated purpose

This resolution cancels a 2024 Bureau of Land Management rule that restricted oil and gas leasing on about 1.2 million acres of the Coastal Plain area within the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, restoring the prior policy that made all approximately 1.6 million acres available for leasing.

Key points

• Nullifies a December 9, 2024 BLM rule governing oil and gas leasing in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge's Coastal Plain
• Reverses a policy that had made approximately 1.2 million acres unavailable for oil and gas leasing or exploration
• Restores the 2020 policy making all approximately 1.6 million acres of the Coastal Plain program area available for leasing
• The nullified 2024 rule had still required a minimum of 400,000 acres to be made available for leasing

Arguments supporters make

• Opening the full acreage increases domestic oil and gas production, which supporters say strengthens U.S. energy security and reduces dependence on foreign suppliers.
• The original 2002 law authorizing leasing in the Coastal Plain directed development in areas with the highest hydrocarbon potential; the 2024 rule restricted those very areas, undermining congressional intent.
• Expanded leasing brings jobs, infrastructure investment, and revenue to Alaska, benefiting communities that rely on the energy sector for their economy.

Arguments opponents make

• The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge Coastal Plain is a sensitive ecosystem; critics argue opening 1.6 million acres instead of the statutory minimum risks permanent harm to wildlife habitat and species that the 2024 rule was designed to protect.
• The 2024 rule was based on a supplemental environmental review; canceling it bypasses that scientific and legal process, setting a precedent for overriding agency environmental findings through legislative action.
• Global demand for oil is uncertain over the long term, and critics contend that locking in large-scale Arctic leasing now may create stranded assets or environmental liabilities without guaranteed economic benefit.

Tradeoffs

Expanding available acreage to the full 1.6 million acres may increase energy production and economic returns but removes protections for the 1.2 million acres the 2024 rule had set aside for conservation; the tension is between maximizing resource development and preserving sensitive Arctic lands.

Current status in Congress: Became law.

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