A state agency in Alaska has taken legal action against the Biden administration for its recent decision to terminate oil and gas leases in the North Slope region, which contains a significant

portion of the nation's unspoiled federal land.

The lawsuit was officially lodged in a federal court located in Washington, D.C., and it disputes the U.S. Interior Department's ruling from September 6th. This ruling annulled seven oil and gas leases within the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, a sprawling region covering 19 million acres (7.7 million hectares). The refuge is highly sensitive to climate change and serves as the habitat for a variety of wildlife, including grizzly and polar bears, snowy owls, and caribou herds. Photo by Bill & Vicki Tracey from Rochelle Illinois, usa, Wikimedia commons.