We can really use your help again Wilderness Watchers!

Last year, together with the actions our members took, we were able to fend off legislation that would have forced a land exchange of federal public lands in order to build a 10-mile long road through the heart of the spectacular Izembek Wilderness in Alaska.


Now the anti-Wilderness forces in Congress are back at it! Alaska Senator Lisa Murkowski and Alaska Congressman Don Young have introduced two bills (S. 101 and H.R. 218) to once again try and ram this land exchange through Congress to punch a road through the Izembek Wilderness. 

Unfortunately, on July 20 the U.S. House of Representatives voted 248 to 179 to pass H.R. 218, so now the fight to keep the Izembek Wilderness wild moves to the U.S. Senate.

Click here to see how your Rep voted. If they voted against the Izembek Wilderness road make sure to 'thank' them, and if they voted for the road, make sure to share your displeasure them by calling Congressional Switchboard at (202) 224-3121.

The Izembek National Wildlife Refuge – 95% of which is designated as Wilderness – contains critically important wildlife habitat and is a major crossroad for international migrations of many bird species. Izembek Lagoon harbors the world’s largest eel grass beds and is crucial staging habitat for nearly the entire population of Pacific brant (a species of goose), as well as for unique Emperor geese that are found only in the Bering Sea region. The area is also home to the famous Alaskan brown bear, rich salmon spawning areas, caribou, wolves, wolverine, seals, sea otters, and other mammal species. In fact, more than 200 wildlife species and nine species of fish are found in the Izembek National Wildlife Refuge and Wilderness area.

Since the Wilderness Act was passed in 1964, Congress has never stripped a designated wilderness of protections to build a road! 

That's why a road slicing through this wild masterpiece would be an unspeakable travesty and set a dangerous precedent for using land trade schemes to develop our precious Wilderness lands across the country.

Wilderness Watch members and supporters have already sent nearly 22,000 letters to Congress on this issue. Now we need all hands on deck...so please write both your senators today!