National Petroleum Reserve–Alaska

A critical migratory bird hotspot on Alaska’s North Slope could be opened to oil and gas exploration.

The National Petroleum Reserve takes up 23-million acres in northern Alaska, and was set aside in 1923 as a petroleum source for the Navy. For years, it remained relatively undeveloped, but recently, oil companies have started showing an interest in the oil-rich region. Host Steve Curwood talks with Alaska Public Radio’s Joel Southern about a […]