After the National Marine Fisheries Service and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service completed <a href="https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2025/09/08/2025-17219/endangered-species-and-eagles-issuance-of-biological-opinion-and-permit">new</a> <a href="https://www.permitting.gov/newsroom/press-releases/alaska-lng-completes-federal-permitting-ahead-schedule">consultations</a> under the Endangered Species Act for the Alaska LNG Project, Center for Biological Diversity and Sierra Club moved to voluntarily dismiss their challenge to the original biological opinions. The organizations had contended that the biological opinions did not fully examine and mitigate harms to polar bears, Cook Inlet beluga whales, and North Pacific right whales. The case had been held in abeyance since November 2024, when the Ninth Circuit granted federal respondents’ request for abeyance to allow the Services to reinitiate consultation.

Challenge to biological opinions prepared regarding a liquefied natural gas project in Alaska.

Center for Biological Diversity v. Burgum

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Environmental Groups Withdrew Challenge to Alaska LNG Project Authorizations After Agencies Issued New Biological Opinions

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Environmental Groups Withdrew Challenge to Alaska LNG Project Authorizations After Agencies Issued New Biological Opinions

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