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Road Through Wildlife Refuge Divides Alaskans

By John P. Ahlers

Before it recesses for November elections, Congress is considering swapping land between the State of Alaska and Federal Government that would allow a road to be built through a national wildlife refuge on the Alaska peninsula. The issue before congress is whether Alaska will be allowed to swap 43,000 acres of state land for 200+ acres of the Izembek refuge needed for the road (a single lane gravel road, 17 miles estimated at $1 - $2 million per mile). Environmentalists insist the road will fragment and irreparably harm one of the "most pristine and valuable wilderness and wetland areas in the Northern Hemisphere". Proponents of the road assert that the 800 residents of King Cove need access to the airport at Cold Bay via land, rather than by hovercraft. See http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/27/us/27road.html

Full post as published by Construction Law Blog on September 30, 2008 (boomark / email).