The National Petroleum Reserve is the nation’s largest block of public land encompassing over 22 million acres in northern Alaska. The name is slightly deceptive – much of the reserve is protected from oil and gas development because of its significant environmental value, with Congress requiring “maximum protections” for the Utukok River, the Teshekpuk Lake area, and other lands with significant subsistence, recreational, fish and wildlife, or historical or scenic value.
