July 22, 2025: Begich Introduced “Discussion Draft” Legislation “Rolling Back” Parts Of The Marine Mammal Protection Act. According to KMXT, "Some whale species were hunted nearly to extinction nearly a century ago. Over time, policymakers established some protections; the big one was the Marine Mammal Protection Act in 1972. Now, tens of thousands of whales migrate to and around Alaska’s waters every year. But on July 22, Rep. Nick Begich III (R-AK) pitched the House Subcommittee on Water, Wildlife, and Fisheries on rolling back parts of the act, claiming it has delayed energy development and port construction projects. ‘As the decades have passed, we’ve also seen how its implementation, particularly in the use of vague or overly precautionary standards, has led to confusion, delay, and unintended harm,’ Begich told the subcommittee. ‘In Alaska, we see this dynamic more than almost anywhere else.’ The representative called the legislation a ‘discussion draft’ in an attempt to ‘modernize’ the law. He said he’s committed to working across party lines and to hear directly from all stakeholders." [KMXT, 7/29/25]
Begich’s Proposed Changes To The Marine Mammal Protection Act Would Revise Key Definitions Changing The Definition Of “Optimum Sustainable Population” From “Maximum Productivity” To The Number “Necessary To Support The Continued Survival” Of A Species. According to the Alaska Wildlife Alliance, "Alaska’s Representative Nick Begich recently introduced a proposal to gut the Marine Mammal Protection Act. Begich’s draft legislation would revise key definitions in the MMPA, including changing ‘optimum sustainable population’ from ‘maximum productivity’ to the number ‘necessary to support the continued survival’ of a species. It also shortens permitting timelines for industrial activities involving incidental ‘takes’ of marine mammals and automatically approves applications if agencies fail to act within 165 days. In short, these proposed changes would set impossibly high hurdles for conservation action and gut protections across the board for our most iconic marine species. " [Alaska Wildlife Alliance, 12/10/25]
Begich’s Suggested Changes To The Marine Mammal Protection Act Would Also “Eliminate Protections For Imperiled Marine Mammals Killed In Commercial Fisheries.” According to the Alaska Wildlife Alliance, "Eliminate protections for imperiled marine mammals killed in commercial fisheries. In gutting the safeguard that limits marine mammal deaths, the bill would undermine the process, known as ‘take reduction planning,’ that protects endangered, threatened, and depleted marine mammal populations from bycatch in commercial fisheries. Currently, these plans, which are developed with input from fishermen and other stakeholders, aim to reduce marine mammal deaths in those fisheries to sustainable levels. Additionally, the bill would eliminate the MMPA’s longstanding goal of reducing mortality in commercial fisheries to near zero over time. Collectively, these amendments would actively harm some of the country’s most spectacular wildlife populations, including humpback whales off the West Coast, harbor porpoises in the Northeast and off Alaska, bottlenose dolphins in the Southeast US, and false killer whales off Hawaii. And they would spell doom for North Atlantic right whales, as entanglements alone are driving the species towards extinction." [Alaska Wildlife Alliance, 12/10/25]
The Alaskan Federation Of Natives Approved A Resolution That “Warned The Proposed Amendments Would Weaken Long-Standing Protections For Marine Mammals Central To Alaska Native Subsistence And Culture, Including Whales, Seals And Polar Bears.” According to KNOM, “Delegates to the Alaska Federation of Natives (AFN) Convention voted Saturday to approve a resolution regarding federal amendments to the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) sponsored by U.S. Representative Nick Begich. The resolution was a late submission by the Nome Eskimo Community and Bering Straits Regional Caucus and was drafted just days before it passed. The resolution warned the proposed amendments would weaken long-standing protections for marine mammals central to Alaska Native subsistence and culture, including whales, seals and polar bears.” [KNOM, 10/18/25]
The Regional Tribal Nonprofit Organization Serving The Bering Strait Region Sent Begich A Letter Saying They “Strongly Oppose” The Amendments To The Marine Mammal Protection Act. According to a letter sent by the President of Kawerak, Inc., “Dear Congressman Begich, Kawerak, Inc., the regional tribal nonprofit organization serving the Bering Strait region, represents the leadership of 20 federally recognized tribes and provides services to 16 communities. Our Subsistence Resources Program advocates for the protection of Alaska Native subsistence rights and the sustainable stewardship of our marine environment. We write to strongly oppose the amendments to the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) and urge the House Natural Resources Committee to reconsider this course of action.” [Letter to Rep. Nick Begich, 8/4/25]
The Eskimo Walrus Commission Sent Begich A Letter Expressing “Serious Concerns” Regarding Begich’s Proposed Amendments To The Marine Mammal Protection Act. According to a letter sent by the Eskimo Walrus Commission, “Dear Congressman Begich, I submit this letter with serious concerns regarding your MMPA amendment discussion draft. While the current MMPA may need some updates to adjust to fifty years of changes, the values that guided its creation are perhaps more necessary than ever. As a Alaska Native co-management organization, the Eskimo Walrus Commission's mission is to protect the Pacific walrus population. We are guided by the Indigenous value that taking care of the environment and its gifts will ensure that it continues to take care of us. MMPA recognizes the inherent right of Alaska Natives to harvest marine mammals for food security, cultural expression and continuity, and economic benefit. It recognizes that Alaska Natives are unique in our relationship to Arctic marine mammals. Our Indigenous Knowledge (IK), in situ observations, and commitment to conservation have contributed significantly to the management of marine mammal species and the environment we share.” [Letter to Rep. Nick Begich, 8/25/25]
The Bill To Amend Language In The Marine Mammal Protection Act Has Not Been Formally Introduced In The House Yet. According to Congress.gov, the only bills that mention the Marine Mammal Protection Act that Rep. Nick Begich has sponsored or co-sponsored in the 119th Congress were H.R. 5694, H.R. 6251, and H.R. 8401. H.R. 5694 is “Alaska’s Right To Ivory Sales and Tradition Act or the ARTIST Act” that “states may not prohibit the importation, sale, transfer, trade, barter, or possession of marine mammal ivory, marine mammal bone, or baleen legally produced by an Alaska Native as an authentic Alaska Native article of handicrafts and clothing.” H.R. 6251 is titled “To amend the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972 to allow importation of polar bear trophies taken in sport hunts in Canada before the date the polar bear was determined to be a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act of 1973.” H.R. 8401 is titled “To amend the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972 to allow the transport, purchase, and sale of pelts of, and handicrafts, garments, and art produced from, Southcentral and Southeast Alaska northern sea otters that are taken for subsistence purposes.” [Congress.gov, Viewed 5/14/26]
October 12, 2024: Begich Said “Alaskans Deserve Access To Public Lands In Our State, Whether To Fish, Hunt, Trap, Hike, ATV, Snow Machine Or Simply Enjoy The Unparalleled Beauty Of Alaska.” According to Nick Begich’s Twitter, “🚨ENDORSEMENT ALERT🚨Alaskans deserve access to public lands in our state, whether to fish, hunt, trap, hike, ATV, snow machine or simply enjoy the unparalleled beauty of Alaska. With over 50 member clubs from Southeast to the Interior, Alaska Outdoor Council represents all Alaskans and works to defend our rights to enjoy our lands at the state and federal level. That’s why I’m honored to receive their endorsement in this race. In Congress, I will fight for our rights to access our resources and to manage and conserve those resources for future generations.” [Twitter, @NickforAlaska, 10/12/24]
February 23, 2026: Begich Supported The Trump Administration’s Revoking Of Public Land Orders 5150 And 5180 That Would Open Up 2.1 Million Acres Of “Long Protected Alaska Land” To “Mining And Other Development.” According to the Alaska Beacon, "The Trump administration is poised to open 2.1 million acres of long-protected Alaska land north of the Yukon River that has been protected for decades to mining and other industrial development. The Department of the Interior announced on Friday that it is revoking decades-old protections for the land, a corridor along the Dalton Highway, the sole road to Alaska’s North Slope. The land is currently managed by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management. The corridor holds a portion of the 800-mile trans-Alaska oil pipeline and it includes sections that would be used for two proposed megaprojects: a long-envisioned pipeline to carry stranded natural gas from the North Slope to tidewater in Southcentral Alaska and the controversial Ambler Access Project, which would put a road of about 200 miles through the Brooks Range foothills to an isolated mining district. The administration’s actions are set to revoke Public Land Orders 5150 and 5180, which have been in place since the 1970s, through a new Public Land Order numbered 7966. The purpose of the administration’s action is to allow the state to make land selections in the corridor, giving the state the right to open the area up to mining and other development. […] Rep. Nick Begich, in the statement, said the action ‘provides assurances needed for the next wave of Alaskan energy infrastructure investment.’ " [Alaska Beacon, 2/23/26]
December 2025: Begich Joined Trump For The Signing Of Two Congressional Review Act Resolutions, Which Begich Introduced, That “Reverse Restrictive Biden-Era Actions That Locked Up Millions Of Acres Across Alaska And Stalled Vital Energy, Mineral, And Infrastructure Development.” According to a press release from Rep. Nick Begich, "Today, Congressman Nick Begich (R-AK) joined President Donald J. Trump in the Oval Office as the President signed H.J. Res. 131 and H.J. Res. 106 into law - two major Congressional Review Act resolutions led by Congressman Begich. These measures reverse restrictive Biden-era actions that locked up millions of acres across Alaska and stalled vital energy, mineral, and infrastructure development. H.J. Res. 131 overturns the Biden administration’s 2024 Record of Decision that halted oil and gas development across 1.16 million acres of the 1002 Area of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge’s Coastal Plain. By restoring the 2020 ROD, the resolution revives a balanced, lawful program that Congress established specifically for energy development and reinforces President Trump’s Executive Order 14154, which prioritizes unlocking Alaska’s strategic resources. This measure ensures access to an estimated 7.7 billion barrels of oil in the 1002 Area - critical for revitalizing throughput in the Trans-Alaska Pipeline System, securing long-term national energy supply, and strengthening America’s strategic posture. H.J. Res. 106 repeals the Biden administration’s Central Yukon Resource Management Plan, which locked up more than 13 million acres in one of Alaska’s most impoverished regions. The plan restricted access to lands essential for energy production, critical minerals, and infrastructure corridors." [Press Release – Rep. Nick Begich, 12/11/25]
August 18, 2025: When Defending Opening Alaska’s Public Lands Up To Alleged “Big Beautiful Business Opportunities,” Begich Admitted That Alaska Was Defined By Its “Inspiring Beauty” But Clarified That Alaska Was “Not A National Park For The East Coast Elite.” According to an opinion piece co-authored by Rep. Nick Begich, “After four years of Beltway bureaucrats blocking big beautiful business opportunities in the north, Alaska is building again thanks to President Trump. With this administration’s support, Alaska is building with Washington as an ally, not an overbearing parent slapping Alaska with more sanctions than Iran. No one denies the inspiring beauty that defines Alaska’s rugged landscapes and pristine peaks. The majestic mountains capture the American imagination of a last frontier ripe for tourism, exploration and recreation. But a critical element of Arctic governance was lost on the last administration’s D.C. monarchy: Alaska is a state about a fifth the size of the Lower 48, not a national park for the East Coast elite.” [Rep. Nick Begich and Sean P. Duffy Op-ed – Anchorage Daily News, 8/18/25]