Izembek National Wildlife Refuge Will Remain Wild
Today the US Fish and Wildlife Service that protects globally important wildlife habitat in Izembek National Wildlife Refuge.
鈥淭his decision is a victory for sound science and recognizes the 鈥檚 critical role,鈥 said Nils Warnock, Executive Director of 探花精选 Alaska. 鈥淚zembek is an irreplaceable globally important area for hundreds of thousands of migratory birds. 探花精选 has long supported a marine transportation route that would address the safety needs of the communities while keeping the refuge intact.鈥
The agency鈥檚 鈥渘o action鈥 alternative determined that a proposal to build a road through Wilderness for the remote villages of Cold Bay and King Cove, Alaska, would harm the refuge and the wildlife there.
The proposed road would have cut through the biological heart of the Izembek National Wildlife Refuge. Izembek's cold-water lagoons and internationally significant wetlands are critically-important resting places for migrating birds of many species. Virtually all of the world's Pacific Brant and more than half of the Emperor Geese stop at Izembek to feed and rest.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service recognized that the proposed land exchange would not offer comparable habitat for the internationally significant wildlife populations. It would be like substituting a hardware store for a grocery store鈥攖he hardware store might be bigger, but you can鈥檛 get the food that you need. Many of the avian species using Izembek鈥攊ncluding Dunlin, Brant and Steller鈥檚 Eider鈥 are recognized on 探花精选鈥檚 Alaska WatchList of declining and vulnerable bird populations.
The agency鈥檚 statement also shows it is willing to further address the health and safety transportation needs of the local communities in alternative ways. Congress already addressed transportation needs for the two villages in 1998, with $37.5 million in taxpayer dollars appropriated to update a medical clinic and provide transportation.
Selecting this preferred alternative shows the US Fish and Wildlife Service upholds the purpose and intent of both the globally important Izembek National Wildlife Refuge and Wilderness lands across the nation.