The Trump administration has officially scheduled an auction for oil drilling rights in Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge for June 5, marking a significant step toward opening the protected area to energy development.

The auction will allow companies to bid for the rights to drill in the refuge, which has been the subject of decades-long environmental and political debates. The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, located in northeastern Alaska, encompasses 19.6 million acres and serves as habitat for polar bears, caribou, and other wildlife species.

The Trump administration declined to provide immediate details about the auction process or specific terms for the drilling rights.

The refuge has been at the center of ongoing disputes between energy development advocates who cite potential economic benefits and job creation, and environmental groups who argue that drilling would harm one of America's last pristine wilderness areas.

Congress authorized oil and gas development in a portion of the refuge through legislation passed in 2017, clearing the way for the federal government to hold lease sales in the area.