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. April 20, 2026
Regulatory Tracker Oil and Gas Development in Alaska’s National Petroleum Reserve The Bureau of Land Management replaced the 2024 rule regulating management of the NPR-A with the prior rule, promulgated in 1977, and approved a new Integrated Activity Plan, reopening almost 82% of the reserve to oil and gas leasing. April 14, 2026
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. April 6, 2026
Federal Environmental Justice Tracker Agencies Significantly Narrowed NEPA Requirements, Changes Effective Immediately April 3, 2026
Regulatory Tracker Federal Offshore Oil and Gas Leasing Program The Department of the Interior proposed a new 5-year program for offshore oil and gas lease sales that will cover 1.3 billion acres. The administration also rolled out a schedule for additional offshore oil and gas lease sales to implement provisions in the OBBBA. April 3, 2026
Regulatory Tracker National Monuments The Biden administration designated and expanded national monuments. The Trump DOI has slated these for rollback. April 1, 2026
Regulatory Tracker Endangered Species Act Regulations Trump administration issued its first proposed rollback to ESA and issued a rare exemption in the Gulf of Mexico that faces litigation. March 31, 2026
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. March 31, 2026
Regulatory Tracker Deep Sea Mining Following the April 2025 executive order Unleashing America’s Offshore Critical Minerals and Resources, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration have taken steps to facilitate commercial deep sea critical minerals mining. March 18, 2026
