The Bureau of Land Management announced on April 17 that it will hold an oil and gas lease sale in Alaska’s Coastal Plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge on June 5, 2026. This will be the first lease sale for the area under the Working Families Tax Cuts.
The planned sale is part of a federal requirement to conduct at least four lease sales in the region by 2035, each offering at least 400,000 acres for bid. The BLM said this action aligns with Executive Order 14153 and Secretary’s Order 3422, both titled “Unleashing Alaska’s Extraordinary Resource Potential,” supporting what officials described as responsible resource development.
“After three Acts of Congress and several successful lawsuits making it abundantly clear that oil and gas leasing in this area of Alaska is lawful, it is a great honor to once again announce another Coastal Plain lease sale,” said Department of the Interior Deputy Secretary Kate MacGregor. “President Trump has long supported Alaska’s important contribution to American energy dominance and Interior is proud to take the necessary and durable steps to unleash these important resources on behalf of the American people.”
Acting BLM Director Bill Groffy said, “The record-breaking success of last month’s lease sale in Alaska’s National Petroleum Reserve sent a clear signal: There is robust and continuing demand for Alaskan energy, underscoring the need for more opportunities like the Coastal Plain sale. By expanding these opportunities, we strengthen our national energy security, support high-paying jobs for Alaskans, and help ensure Americans have access to affordable energy.”
BLM Alaska State Director Kevin Pendergast added: “Nearly 50 years ago, Congress saw the tremendous energy potential of the Coastal Plain and set it aside for potential development. This lease sale marks a major milestone, as we continue the stable and lawful progress toward responsible development in the Coastal Plain.”
A notice about this upcoming sale will be published in Monday’s Federal Register. Sealed bids must be received by June 3 at BLM-Alaska State Office in Anchorage; details are available on BLM’s website. The opening and reading of bids will be streamed live online on June 5.
This step follows a call for nominations held earlier this year seeking input on which tracts should be offered for leasing. The first mandated leasing program was established under legislation passed by Congress in December 2017; since then one previous auction took place with three companies winning leases while another scheduled auction received no bids due to restrictions.
