Secretary Bernhardt's Statement on the State of the Union Address

The Department of the Interior today announced a proposed rule to improve visitor access at Denali National Park and Preserve by updating outdated vehicle use regulations for the historic Denali Park Road. 

The Department of the Interior approved the nation’s first-ever tribal energy resource agreement, increasing the Southern Ute Indian Tribe’s sovereign authority to manage and develop energy resources on its lands while reducing federal bureaucracy. This step strengthens tribal self‑determination and supports broader efforts to advance U.S. Energy Dominance by ensuring affordable, reliable and domestically produced energy in the United States, furthering the objectives of Executive Order 14154 “Unleashing American Energy.”

Alaska – Today, the Department of the Interior announced a major Alaska statehood land transfer to convey approximately 1.4 million acres of land along the Dalton Utility Corridor to the State of Alaska. With conveyance of these lands north of the Yukon River, the Bureau of Land Management has fulfilled more than 96% of the state’s entitlement under the Alaska Statehood Act, expanding Alaska’s opportunities for resource development, strengthening local economies, and enhancing the state’s control of its own economic destiny.