HR 3067119th CongressIn Committee

Arctic Refuge Protection Act

Introduced: Apr 29, 2025

Standard Summary

Comprehensive overview in 1-2 paragraphs

The Arctic Refuge Protection Act would reverse a key energy provision from the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act by repealing the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) oil and gas leasing program. At the same time, it would designate about 1.56 million acres of the Arctic coastal plain within ANWR as wilderness. Under wilderness designation, the area would be added to the National Wilderness Preservation System and managed under the Wilderness Act, treated as part of the existing wilderness within ANWR from the date of enactment. The intent is to protect the coastal plain’s ecosystems “for the permanent good of present and future generations of Americans.”

Key Points

1Repeals the ANWR oil and gas leasing program established in Public Law 115-97 (the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act).
2Designates approximately 1,559,538 acres of the Arctic coastal plain as wilderness.
3The designated wilderness would become a component of the National Wilderness Preservation System under the Wilderness Act.
4Administration would be by the Secretary of the Interior, following Wilderness Act protections and treating the area as part of the existing wilderness in ANWR at enactment.
5The map reference for the designated area is the “Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, Coastal Plain Proposed Wilderness” (Oct. 20, 2015), Map ID 03-0172, accessible through the Interior Department.

Impact Areas

Primary group/area affected: Alaska’s Arctic coastal plain and the Indigenous communities in the region (e.g., groups with traditional subsistence rights and connections to the land), as well as conservation-focused organizations seeking to protect the area.Secondary group/area affected: The oil and gas industry and related economic interests relying on ANWR leasing; federal and state revenue tied to potential leasing and royalties; local contractors and service providers.Additional impacts: Land protection and environmental outcomes (stronger protections against development, mining, and motorized access); potential changes to recreation, tourism, and subsistence use patterns; potential legal and political implications related to land-use disputes and challenges to the repeal of the leasing program.

Generated by gpt-5-nano on Nov 19, 2025