Yukon MP Larry Bagnell and the Vuntut Gwitchin First Nation are hailing the new Biden administration’s move to prohibit oil and natural gas leasing activities in Alaska’s Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.

“I want to first congratulate President Joe Biden and Vice-President Kamala Harris who took office yesterday,” Bagnell said Thursday.

“The actions they have already taken show Canada and the world that the United States will once again join us in leading the fight against climate change.

“I would also like to applaud President Biden for taking swift action to prevent drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR).

“One of the actions on his first day in the Oval Office was to use an executive order to place a temporary moratorium on all oil and natural gas leasing activities in ANWR. This mark a substantial shift in policy that I hope will lead to long-term protection.”

The Canadian government, Bagnell added, “continues to fight to ensure the protection of ANWR, the jointly shared Porcupine caribou herd, and the Gwich’in way of life.

“Last night, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau also stated his support for the move.

“Although there are significant steps still to take, after decades of lobbying, this is the first time I see the light at the end of the tunnel,” Bagnell added.

The Vuntut Gwitchin government is also celebrating Biden’s action.

“The president’s support honours the Gwich’in way of life and his swift action sends a clear message that the voices of the elders of our nation, and the lives of the children and grandchildren of our nation, matter,” Chief Dana Tizya-Tramm of the Vuntut Gwitchin First Nation said Wednesday from Old Crow.

“On behalf of our nation, Hai choo’ to President Biden and Vice-President Harris for making this a priority.

“There is still a lot of work ahead, and we will not stop until our sacred lands are permanently protected, but today we are taking a moment to breathe a sigh of relief.”

Elder Lorraine Netro, a former Yukon NDP MLA, said she is “feeling so very relieved and elated on the news that President Biden is taking action to protect Iizhik Gwats’an Gwandaii Goodlit.

“Today, I am remembering our ancestors, all of our partners, and those who never gave up,” Netro said.

“This moment belongs to all of us, and I know we will all be taking some time to celebrate today and to reflect on the journey which has led us here.”

The U.S. Bureau of Land Management on Tuesday said it has issued leases covering nearly 685 square miles (1,770 square kilometres) in Alaska’s Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.

The move was denounced by critics in the waning hours of former president Donald Trump’s administration.