Regulatory Tracker Arctic National Wildlife Refuge — Oil and Gas Development In October 2025, BLM reinstituted a Coastal Plain Oil and Gas Leasing Program which opened the 1.56 million acre Coastal Plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge for oil and gas leasing. October 23, 2025
Regulatory Tracker Oil and Gas Development in Alaska’s National Petroleum Reserve President Trump ordered BLM to reverse protections in the NPR-A put in place under President Biden. The Willow Project has been approved, with litigation pending. October 22, 2025
Regulatory Tracker BLM Methane Waste Prevention Rule BLM released a final rule to reduce the waste of natural gas from oil and gas operations on federal and Tribal land. Four states challenged the rule. October 20, 2025
Regulatory Tracker Federal Offshore Oil and Gas 5-Year Leasing Program The Trump DOI is reviewing the 5-year program for offshore oil and gas lease sales to comply with the Trump EO, Unleashing American Energy. The EO specifically mentions encouraging offshore development on the Outer Continental Shelf, which President Biden had partially protected. October 2, 2025
Regulatory Tracker Federal Onshore Extractive Energy Leasing President Trump directed agencies to review and remove regulations that the administration believes burden domestic energy production. BLM has begun the process of offering expanded areas for leasing and expedited lease reviews. September 30, 2025
Federal Environmental Justice Tracker Three Regional Climate Adaptation Science Centers Suspended Operations Following DOI Funding Halt September 30, 2025
Regulatory Tracker Endangered Species Act Regulations The Trump administration issued its first proposed rollback to ESA protections. August 19, 2025
Federal Environmental Justice Tracker Agencies Significantly Narrowed NEPA Requirements, Changes Effective Immediately July 9, 2025
Regulatory Tracker NEPA — Department of the Interior DOI last updated its NEPA rules in 2008. In April, DOI released “alternative arrangements for NEPA compliance,” outlining a novel process for certain energy projects to circumvent existing environmental review procedures. June 30, 2025
