This week on The Wild Line: the federal government advances twin lease sale plans in Alaska’s Arctic Refuge and Western Arctic, the Department of Interior finalizes revised NEPA procedures, the Trump Administration moves to restart a spill-prone California pipeline, and a slate of state-level public lands stories from Virginia, Oregon, Montana, Wyoming, and British Columbia. The independently released Nature Record warns of cascading consequences from continued environmental degradation.

🎧 Listen to the full episode for context, commentary, and what to watch next.

Arctic National Wildlife Refuge Lease Sale: Call for Nominations Closes, Opposition Mounts

The federal government has closed the call for nominations period for oil leases in Alaska’s Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR). A formal lease sale notice is expected soon. More than 150,000 public comments opposing the sale have been submitted. The Alaska Wilderness League and partners are hosting community hearings on the Arctic Refuge in Seattle and Portland in late March, featuring speakers from the Gwich’in Steering Committee. Find out more about these events.

Western Arctic Lease Sale Set for March 18: ConocoPhillips Expected to Bid

On March 18, the federal government will auction drilling rights in the Western Arctic. ConocoPhillips is the most likely bidder. With environmental protections rolled back and legislative options exhausted, advocacy groups are directing public pressure toward the companies involved. Alaska Wilderness League Advocacy Toolkit.

Department of Interior Finalizes Revised NEPA Procedures

The Department of Interior (DOI) has finalized revised procedures for environmental reviews under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). The changes shift from codified regulations to flexible guidance housed in the DOI NEPA Handbook. Ongoing reviews are largely unaffected, but new project sponsors should monitor bureau-specific guidance and evolving case law, as timelines and litigation risk for future DOI reviews may shift.

Trump Administration Clears Path to Restart Sable Offshore Pipeline Under Defense Production Act

The Justice Department has ruled the Trump Administration can override federal environmental laws and California state law to restart a Sable Offshore pipeline off the central California coast under the Defense Production Act. The pipeline previously spilled 100,000 gallons of oil. California officials had denied a permit, citing worsened corrosion.

State & Regional News

Virginia Approves Wildlife Corridor Grant Fund — HB 597 Heads to Governor Spanberger

The Virginia General Assembly approved HB 597, the Wildlife Corridor Grant Fund, sponsored by Delegate Shelly Simonds. The bill aims to reduce wildlife-vehicle collisions and support healthier ecosystems. It now heads to Governor Abigail Spanberger for signature.

BLM Plans to Quadruple Timber Production on Oregon & California Railroad Lands

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has issued a notice of intent to increase timber production on the Oregon and California Railroad (O&C) Lands from 250 million to one billion board feet annually, citing wildfire risk and barred-owl management. Opponents argue industrial clear-cuts are counterproductive, and that small-diameter thinning and prescribed fire are more effective tools.

Death Valley National Park Superbloom: Strongest in a Decade

Death Valley National Park is experiencing a rare superbloom, its strongest in ten years according to Park Ranger Matthew Lamar. Steady rainfall and warm temperatures have transformed the desert floor into fields of golden wildflowers.

Montana NGOs Host Public Meetings on Roadless Rule Rescission as Forest Service Stays Silent

Conservation and sportsmen’s groups held seven public meetings across Montana surrounding each of the state’s National Forests on the proposed rescission of the Roadless Rule. The meetings were hosted by NGOs, not the Forest Service. Wild Montana’s Federal Policy Director Hilary Eisen discussed the absence of agency-led engagement:

“We are doing it because the Forest Service is not. So before deciding to host all these meetings, all of the involved organizations worked together to circulate a petition around Montana where we called on the Forest Service, specifically on Chief Schultz, to host public meetings. We ended up (with) about 4,000 signatures on that petition, which we submitted at the beginning of February and have yet to receive any sort of response from the agency, from the chief. In addition, a number of organizations around the state had also submitted individual letters starting back at the roadless rule notice of intent scoping period or the rescission notice of intense scoping period asking for public meetings. So there have been numerous requests to the agency to hold meetings. Since the agency is not listening or not responding, we felt like public meetings are important and somebody needs to do it. And so we will do that.”

Wyoming Legislature Passes SJ9 Affirming Support for Federal Public Land Ownership

The Wyoming legislature approved SJ9, a resolution affirming the state’s support for keeping public lands in federal hands—a notable shift from 2024, when a similar body narrowly defeated a resolution calling for transfer of most federal lands to the state.

British Columbia: Court Injunction Halts WHY Resources Magnesium Mine Near Rossland

The BC Provincial Supreme Court granted an injunction halting construction of a proposed open-pit magnesium mine by WHY Resources near Rossland, BC—a mountain biking, hiking, and backcountry ski community—while a judicial review proceeds. The Save Record Ridge Action Committee Society challenged the BC government’s decision to waive an environmental assessment. A judicial review hearing is set for May in Rossland. Read more about the BC Supreme Court Ruling.

Interior Secretary Burgum Calls Public Lands Advocates “Not Financially Literate”; Nature Record Released

Speaking at the BlackRock Infrastructure Summit, Interior Secretary Doug Burgum suggested that advocates for public land protection lack financial literacy. Critics note the outdoor recreation economy significantly outpaces the extraction economy in economic output.

Separately, scientists who worked on the now-shelved National Nature Assessment released the report independently this week as the Nature Record. The draft covers how biodiversity loss affects human health, the economy, and national security. Read the report here.

 Next Week

That’s our report for March 13, 2026.

Next Tuesday we bring you a Saint Patrick’s Day edition of The Wild Idea with Tim Mahoney as we explore the process of securing a wilderness designation for the Irish Wilderness in Missouri’s Mark Twain National Forest.

Until then—Act Up and Run Wild.

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