How large is the Arctic Refuge coastal plain opened to drilling?

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The Arctic Refuge coastal plain covers 1.56 million acres (some sources say 1.5 or 1.6 million acres). Trump opened the entire coastal plain to drilling, reversing Biden's restrictions that protected nearly 75% of the area. The coastal plain is officially called the "1002 area" after Section 1002 of the 1980 Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act, which deferred a decision on whether to allow drilling there. The coastal plain is the calving ground for the Porcupine Caribou herd, which numbers about 200,000 animals. USGS estimates the area holds between 4.25 and 11.8 billion barrels of technically recoverable oil. The entire Arctic Refuge covers 19.3 million acres in northeast Alaska, making it the largest national wildlife refuge. But the coastal plain is the most ecologically sensitive area and the focus of the drilling debate.

How large is the Arctic Refuge coastal plain opened to drilling?

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