Trump Administration Approves Willow Project in NPRA

The Trump administration on Tuesday approved ConocoPhillips’ large oil project, called the Willow project, in the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska, according to News for Energy.

The decision sets the stage for construction near a prized conservation area in a largely undeveloped region on the North Slope, which has seen increased industry attention in recent years.

The federal government’s record of decision was signed Monday by Interior Secretary David Bernhardt. It will allow up to three drill sites, a processing facility and gravel roads and pipelines.

Conservation groups decried the proposal as a threat to the Teshekpuk Lake Special Area, a wetland complex in the 23 million-acre reserve that supports migratory birds and calving grounds for the Teshekpuk Lake caribou herd.