Today the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service released their draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement for the Izembek National Wildlife Refuge, outlining a path to build a road through one of the most important wetland habitats in Alaska. This proposed road threatens not only migratory birds and sustainable Indigenous lifeways in this region, but it also lays out a path for the transfer of lands specifically protected by the Alaska National Interests Land Act (ANILCA) across Alaska for development.
“The proposal to build a road through the Izembek Refuge as outlined in the SEIS today is an extremely dangerous precedent for fish and wildlife habitat protection in Alaska,” says Marilyn Sigman, President of the Friends of Alaska NWRs. “The Izembek Refuge is wilderness, and species such as the Emperor goose and Pacific black brant depend on this place as their breeding habitat. A road bisecting the refuge puts the conservation of these lands at extreme risk.”
The lands proposed for exchange are not equivalent in conservation value. The land exchange as proposed would swap lands within the Refuge with lands currently owned by the King Cove Corporation. Dozens of native tribes and tribal entities, including the Native Village of Hooper Bay and its village corporation, have opposed this land exchange.
We have joined with many conservation and tribal partners to oppose the road across the Refuge throughout the Biden Administration and thus are extremely disappointed to see this land exchange to enable road-building come at the tail end of this Administration.