Sponsors (23)
The bill permanently protects 1.56 million acres of the ANWR coastal plain—safeguarding environment, wildlife, and tourism-linked livelihoods—at the cost of blocking potential oil and gas development, associated government revenue, and some motorized access for local users.
Residents, Indigenous communities, and visitors gain permanent protection of ~1.56 million acres of the ANWR coastal plain as designated wilderness, preserving habitat and landscapes.
Local and Indigenous subsistence users experience stronger protections for wildlife and subsistence resources because development is restricted on the designated lands.
Alaska rural communities retain scenic and ecological values that support tourism and outdoor recreation economies, benefiting businesses and jobs tied to those sectors.
Energy and mineral companies lose access to ~1.56 million acres, preventing oil and gas development and the direct jobs and private investment that would have come from that activity.
Federal and state governments forgo potential lease and royalty revenues from development on the designated acreage, reducing potential revenue streams for budgets and local services.
Some local residents and subsistence users may face restrictions on motorized access or infrastructure improvements, which could constrain travel, access to certain traditional activities, or local mobility.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Adds ~1,559,538 acres of the ANWR Coastal Plain to the National Wilderness Preservation System using the 2015 map as the legal boundary.
Official title: Designate a portion of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge as wilderness.
Introduced April 29, 2025 by Edward John Markey · Last progress April 29, 2025
Designates about 1,559,538 acres of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) Coastal Plain in Alaska as wilderness and adds that area to the National Wilderness Preservation System, using the 2015 map (Map ID 03–0172) as the legal boundary. The new designation names the area "Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, Coastal Plain Proposed Wilderness" and makes the wilderness status explicit regardless of conflicting language in other refuge statutes. The bill is short and narrowly focused: it only sets the short title and creates the wilderness designation for the mapped coastal plain acreage; it does not authorize spending, create additional programs, or set implementation deadlines.