WASHINGTON, D.C. — December 5, 2025
The WHITE HOUSE announced that the President has signed S.J.Res. 80 into law, a Congressional Review Act resolution that formally nullifies the Bureau of Land Management’s “Integrated Activity Plan Record of Decision” governing portions of the National Petroleum Reserve–Alaska (NPR-A). Under the Congressional Review Act, once a rule is disapproved by Congress and signed by the President, the rule “shall not take effect (or continue).” This action removes the specific restrictions imposed by the nullified BLM rule and returns the reserve to the regulatory framework that existed prior to its issuance.
The National Petroleum Reserve–Alaska spans approximately 23 million acres on Alaska’s North Slope. It was originally created in 1923 by Executive Order 3797-A as Naval Petroleum Reserve No. 4. Its statutory foundation was later established in the Naval Petroleum Reserves Production Act of 1976, which authorized the Department of the Interior to conduct leasing, exploration, and development of petroleum resources within the reserve. Federal law includes the directive that the Secretary of the Interior “shall conduct an expeditious program of competitive leasing of oil and gas” in the reserve. This statutory language defines the NPR-A’s energy-development purpose as written by Congress and does not rely on interpretation or political framing.
The BLM’s 2022 Integrated Activity Plan placed federal-level limitations on access and development across several regions of the NPR-A. With the signing of S.J.Res. 80, those specific limitations are canceled. The resolution itself does not authorize drilling, grant permits, approve leases, or guarantee that any particular area will be developed. All federal projects within NPR-A continue to require leasing processes, environmental reviews, and permitting procedures under federal law. In addition, Alaska retains authority over state-level permits and approvals within its jurisdiction.
The nullification of the 2022 federal rule restores the NPR-A to its prior legal status under the 1976 Act, but it does not remove or override other protections established under separate federal statutes, including environmental laws, subsistence protections, or earlier area designations that were not created by the nullified rule. These laws and protections remain in effect unless modified by their own statutory or regulatory actions. The repeal applies only to the specific BLM rule identified in S.J.Res. 80.
All factual statements in this report are based strictly on statutory text, federal records, and the first-hand announcement regarding the signing of S.J.Res. 80. No conclusions are drawn beyond the literal effect of the resolution and the laws governing the NPR-A.
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Sources
- THE WHITE HOUSE — Announcement of S.J.Res. 80 signature
- FEDERAL REGISTER — NPR-A rule rescission documents
- U.S. CODE — Naval Petroleum Reserves Production Act of 1976
- BLM — NPR-A statutory and historical background
- U.S. NAVY HISTORICAL RECORDS — Executive Order 3797-A establishing Naval Petroleum Reserve No. 4
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