Urge Secretary Haaland to Protect the Izembek Wilderness

On April 20, U.S. Secretary of Interior Deb Haaland visited the native village of King Cove, Alaska, near the Izembek National Wildlife Refuge and Wilderness. Sec. Haaland was accompanied by Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), Gov. Mike Dunleavy (R-AK), and other proponents who want to build a road through the heart of the Izembek Wilderness to connect King Cove with the community of Cold Bay, which has a large airport runway. 

This issue has gone on for years. It began in the 1980s when commercial fishing interests in King Cove proposed a road through the Wilderness in order to transport fresh fish to the all-season air strip at Cold Bay. More recently, the media has focused on the residents of King Cove who want the road, claiming it is necessary for medevac emergencies, rather than risk transporting them by water in rough weather.

Former Interior Secretary Sally Jewell made the right decision in 2013 to protect Izembek and deny the road proposal. Jewell also requested that the Corps of Engineers analyze non-road alternatives. A subsequent 2015 report by the Corps of Engineers determined the most reliable method of transport during inclement weather to be a marine ferry for transport from King Cove and break-water/dock improvements at Cold Bay. During storms, a road would impassible due to blowing snow and avalanche risk. This non-road alternative could be implemented using infrastructure funds recently passed by Congress.

During the Trump administration, Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke approved a land exchange to permit the road (the courts rejected that), and then the next Trump administration Interior Secretary, David Bernhardt, approved another land exchange to allow the road (still in court).

While Secretary Haaland made no public comments nor answered any reporters’ questions during her recent visit, she was only surrounded by road proponents.  Wilderness advocates were not invited. Your help is needed now to let Secretary Haaland know that many people want to see the Izembek Wilderness protected from the road-building scheme.

Please email Secretary Haaland soon and let her know you support protecting the Izembek Wilderness from the road-building scheme. Urge her to support a non-road alternative such as marine ferry with break-water and dock improvements at Cold Bay.