AIDEA authorized $190 million for ANWR — backed by Kaktovik, the residents

The Alaska Industrial Development and Export Authority board voted 6-1 on May 13 to authorize up to $190 million in public funds for the ANWR Coastal Plain — $175 million for 3-D seismic work in the Section 1002 Area and up to $15 million to bid in the June 2026 federal lease sale.

The vote was strongly supported by Kaktovik, the only community located inside the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. The Native Village of Kaktovik, the Kaktovik Inupiat Corporation, and the City of Kaktovik all testified in favor of the resolution. KIC President Charles Lampe and Mayor Nathan Gordon argued that Kaktovik should hold the central voice in development decisions on the land they actually live on, and that ANCSA land promises have gone unfulfilled for 64 years. Lampe said the project would bring local jobs, reduced energy costs, improved access, and long-term economic benefits, and that the coexistence of wildlife and development is a lived reality on the North Slope.

Broader North Slope Iñupiat support came from Nagruk Harcharek, president and CEO of the Voice of the Arctic Inupiat, who testified on behalf of 22 elected North Slope leaders. Harcharek said responsible onshore development sustains communities, strengthens culture, and advances self-determination.

The Gwich'in Steering Committee, whose member communities live south of ANWR and depend on the Porcupine Caribou Herd, opposed the resolution on subsistence and Indigenous-rights grounds. The herd's range includes the 1002 Area, and the herd has used parts of the Coastal Plain for calving in some years; however, the herd's calving locations vary substantially year to year and also include areas in Canada and elsewhere in Alaska. Environmental advocates and Fairbanks and Anchorage residents also opposed the resolution, citing financial risk and inadequate public process.

Board member Andrew Guy cast the sole dissenting vote, saying that without full information on the proposal — including questions staff could not answer — he could not support it. Several public commenters criticized a closed executive session that preceded the vote.

Board member Albert Fogle said he defers to the people who live in the area. Commissioner Julie Sande cited AIDEA's constitutional obligation to maximize the benefit of known resources for Alaskans. Executive Director Randy Ruaro told the board the seismic work aims to attract an oil and gas company as a partner, and that the Section 1002 Area was "set aside for oil and gas development by Congress."

The June 2026 federal lease sale is the next concrete deadline. The next AIDEA board meeting is June 17, in Anchorage.