Biden withdraws remaining Northern Bering Sea climate-resilience area from oil and gas leasing

President Joe Biden used a January 6, 2025 memorandum to withdraw the remaining areas of the Northern Bering Sea Climate Resilience Area from future oil and natural gas leasing. The memorandum relied on section 12(a) of the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act and said the withdrawal would last without a specific expiration date. It preserved existing lease rights but prevented the withdrawn areas from being considered for future oil and gas leasing. The action mattered because it extended offshore-drilling protections in a region with Alaska Native communities, marine wildlife, and ecosystems vulnerable to spills and climate disruption.