By Caroline Brouwer, Advocacy Committee Chair
Alaska’s refuges are taking a hit this month, between the decision by the Biden Administration to propose a land swap with the King Cove Corporation in order to build a road through the Izembek National Wildlife Refuge and the announcement that 400,000 acres of land in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge will be auctioned off for oil and gas leases.
The only comforting news is that the announced acreage for oil and gas leasing in the Arctic Refuge is the smallest amount allowable by law. The Administration is required by law (the 2017 Tax Act) to hold a lease sale, so they have chosen to put the smallest acreage possible up for auction. This second Arctic Refuge lease sale will take place January 9, 2025. During the first lease sale in early 2021, there was very little interest from lease purchasers. We will see what happens in January.
The Izembek announcement (as part of the draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement) was just baffling in its absurdity. Refuge Friends and other public lands advocates have fought this potential road for decades, and now all of a sudden the Biden Administration decides to go forward with a road that will carve a path through one of the most remote and protected lands in the Refuge System, and for what? A supposed medical evacuation path in one of the most difficult terrains in the world to traverse in the winter. It’s nonsensical.
Friends sent out an action alert last week regarding the Izembek road, and a hearing was held in Anchorage on December 9th. Many, many thanks to those of you who attended! Please let us know if you went, and what your thoughts were on the hearing- you can email me here.
You can still comment online, at the remaining public meeting or at the virtual meetings this week. Each of the virtual meetings are tailored for an Alaska Peninsula community but they have been very clear that anyone can attend and testify at these virtual hearings.
A FWS web page.on the project has a great deal of background information.
Bethel, Thurs, Dec. 12, 6 – 8, Yupiit Piciryarait Cultural Center, 420 Chief Eddie Hoffman Hwy
Virtual – Register online at the links below
Please take action by December 30th! The link to comment is here.
Map of the road the FWS proposes to allow in Alternative 6, the preferred alternative. Note the wetlands and the narrow neck of land between the two highly productive lagoons – Izembek and Kinzarof Lagoons – that will be bifurcated by the road. Note also the intent to take gravel from numerous sites along the road. Source: Draft SEIS