Governor Dunleavy and administration officials praise Alaska policies under Trump administration

Gov. Mike Dunleavy and top officials from his administration held a news conference to celebrate President Trump’s new executive orders that remove restrictions on resource extraction in Alaska. They praised Trump for reversing Biden administration policies, saying it would benefit Alaska by allowing for oil drilling in the Arctic, logging in Southeast Alaska, and mining around the state. Dunleavy called Trump a “force of nature in the White House” and criticized the Biden administration and environmentalists for their policies. The officials predicted increased oil activity in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and the National Petroleum Reserve, as well as progress on the Ambler Access Project. They also welcomed Trump’s order rescinding protections for roadless areas in the Tongass National Forest, allowing logging to resume. Despite the positive outlook for resource extraction, there are concerns about legal challenges from environmental groups opposing these policies. Dunleavy also mentioned potential discussions with Trump about the renaming of Mount McKinley back to Denali and refrained from commenting on other Trump actions regarding wind energy projects and infrastructure spending. The press conference highlighted the administration’s support for increased resource extraction in Alaska and their anticipation of legal battles to come.

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