The Biden administration has taken a major step in protecting the environment by halting oil drilling on 16 million acres of federal land and water in Alaska. The Department of Interior (DOI) announced Sunday evening that it is indefinitely blocking 16 million acres of federal land and water in Alaska from future fossil fuel drilling. This includes 13 million acres of land across the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska, and the Arctic Ocean. The Interior Department said that this decision is part of President Biden's commitment to combat climate change and protect the environment. The move follows a series of executive orders issued by the President in January that aimed to limit drilling on public lands and waters. Alaska Senator Dan Sullivan, a Republican, expressed his disappointment in the Biden administration's decision. He argued that the Willow Project, a proposed oil and gas development in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, would have benefited the U.S. economy and energy sector. The Interior Department said that the decision to block drilling was based on a review of the potential impacts of oil and gas development on the environment, wildlife, and local communities. The department noted that the Arctic is one of the most fragile and rapidly changing ecosystems in the world, and that drilling could have a detrimental effect on the region. The Biden administration's move to block drilling is likely to face legal challenges from Alaska's Republican-led state government. However, it is a major victory for environmental activists who have long argued that the Arctic should be protected from the dangers of drilling.