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The Biden administration announced its support for a controversial land exchange that would pave the way for a gravel road through the Izembek National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska. The road proposal has been a political football for more than a decade, driven by a request from the residents of King Cove, a 900-person community that wants access to medical care via an all-weather runway in the town of Cold Bay, 16 miles away.
In 2019, the Trump administration proposed a different land exchange for the road through Izembek in a deal that left open the possibility that the road could be used for commercial purposes, serving a large salmon cannery in King Cove. That exchange was withdrawn by Interior Secretary Deb Haaland last year, who said at the time that "Respecting Tribal sovereignty means ensuring that we are listening – really listening – to Tribal communities."
Alaska Native leaders in King Cove and the state's congressional delegation continued to press Haaland to approve a land exchange, while other Tribes and conservation groups strongly opposed it. The exchange announced on Wednesday would transfer 484 acres of federal land to King Cove for the road, and the federal government would gain 31,000 acres of land, including 1,700 acres with wilderness status. In a major shift from the Trump plan, the one-lane gravel road through the Izembek refuge would only be open to non-commercial traffic.
The announcement kicks off a 45-day public comment period on the proposed land exchange, which will open Friday morning. The Interior department will also hold public meetings on the proposal. But the timing of the announcement means the final decision on the Izembek road and land swap will be made by the Trump administration next year.
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Driven by science and collaboration, our team has made important strides in managing our public lands for future generations. The success of this work is rooted in three things: the remarkable public servants who work at the BLM; our partnerships with local communities, states, industry, non-profit groups and with Tribes that count on the health of our public lands and waters and the resources they provide; and finally, the support and engagement of our fellow Americans, who love and depend on our public lands.”
