Grandmothers Growing Goodness Condemns DOI’s Plans to Open Western Arctic for Drilling

(Nuiqsut, Alaska) – Yesterday, Secretary Doug Burgum announced plans to open up an additional six million acres in the Western Arctic (National Petroleum Reserve- Alaska) to oil and gas leasing  – a plan that, if successful, will result in the devastating elimination of protections for subsistence and wildlife in the region. 

Last year, Nuiqsut Trilateral Incorporation, a non-profit organization representing Kuukpik, the Native Village, and the City of Nuiqsut, negotiated a right of way (ROW) protecting the core caribou calving habitat area of Teshekpuk Lake. It is unclear whether the Secretary still intends to honor that agreement. 

In response, Grandmothers Growing Goodness released the following statement: 

"It is critical that our leaders protect the Western Arctic from more oil and gas drilling. The health of our communities depends on the health of the Teshekpuk Lake Special Area, so we must keep this entire region protected. The lands the Department of the Interior wants to open up for oil and gas development are fragile, irreplaceable, and necessary for our survival. Our community will continue using our power to create goodness and ensure that our voices are heard - our lands, wildlife, health, and future depend on it,” said Rosemary Ahtuangaruak, Founder of Grandmothers Growing Goodness.

Even if the ROW is protected, leasing 82 percent of the Western Arctic means making the rest of Teshekpuk Lake Special Area (outside the ROW) available for leasing. These areas are currently off limits to protect the broader area where the Teshekpuk Herd caribou calf and also where they seek insect relief. Making so much available for leasing also means opening up the Utukok Uplands for development, which are the calving grounds for the Western Arctic caribou herd. 

“We fought for and won these additional caribou habitat protections more than 10 years ago. However, our leadership has known and described the importance of these areas for generations. It is our tradition to honor and protect these calving grounds. Our leadership must stand firm in maintaining these key protections. These are not the places that should be up for negotiation; simply asking for a seat at the table and meaningful consultation with BLM is not enough. We must work together to protect the concrete gains we achieved so long ago,” Rosemary continues. 

This announcement follows the Biden Administration’s efforts last year to protect Teshekpuk Lake and other important subsistence and wildlife areas in the National Petroleum Reserve Alaska (NPR-A). Additionally, President Biden’s Department of the Interior just recognized significant subsistence resource values, the need for co-management, and the importance of establishing new Special Areas to protect subsistence use in the Western Arctic, and the executive order rescinds these safeguards.

Press Contact: grace@team-arc.com