The head of an oil and gas industry trade group has been tapped to serve as the Interior Department’s top adviser in Alaska, a state the Trump administration has put at the center of its effort to boost domestic fossil fuel production.
Four people with knowledge of the appointment said Kara Moriarty, the president and CEO of the Alaska Oil and Gas Association, will be responsible for coordinating policy across multiple DOI agencies in a region with more than 200 million acres of federally owned land — much of which is unspoiled wilderness lands, national parks and wildlife refuges.
An Interior Department spokesperson declined to comment on the pending appointment. Moriarty did not respond to requests for comment.
Pat Pourchot, who served as the senior adviser under former President Barack Obama and is now on the board of the Alaska Wilderness League, said the position comes with an incredibly broad portfolio in a state with competing interests. Moriarty is well connected to the oil and gas industry and the Alaska delegation, but she will also be responsible for engaging with tribes and addressing other land issues.
