The U.S.D.C. for Alaska (per Gleason, J.) has overturned Trump’s executive order that attempted to reverse actions taken by President Obama. The Court framed the issue as follows:
This case concerns Section 12(a) of the [Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act], which provides as follows: “The President of the United States may, from time to time, withdraw from disposition any of the unleased lands of the outer Continental Shelf.” In 2015 and 2016, President Obama issued three memoranda and one executive order withdrawing certain areas of the Outer Continental Shelf from leasing. On April 28, 2017, President Trump issued Executive Order 13795, which purported to revoke the 2015 and 2016 withdrawals.
Slip op. at 3-4, emphasis added.
So, for at least some period, oil and gas exploration in these environmentally sensitive areas have been blocked.