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Protect the Izembek NWR; Oppose H.R. 2801, the Road to Nowhere
Members of the Alaskan Congressional delegation have introduced legislation that will result in a road carved through the biological heart of the Izembek National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska, the first wetlands area in North American to be recognized under the Ramsar Convention as a Wetland of International Importance. The week of April 21st, the House Natural Resources Committee is expected to vote on this bill and your U.S. Representative will be casting a deciding vote! Urge him or her to vote NO!
Congress rejected this ill-conceived plan in 1998, but Representative Don Young (R-AK) and Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) didnt get the message. Both introduced mirror bills in October 2007, H.R. 2801 and S. 1680, that would authorize a land exchange paving the way for the state of Alaska to build a nine-mile road right through the refuge, a designated wilderness.
Established in 1960 to protect habitat for the Pacific black brant, the 417,000-acre Izembek NWR is located on the Alaskan peninsula with 95% designated as wilderness. Wildlife here is abundant, from brown bears, caribou and wolves to seals, seal lions and sea otters. At the heart of the refuge lies the 150 square mile Izembek lagoon, containing some of the largest eelgrass beds in the world, which the Pacific brant and other avian species depend upon for survival.
On paper, the land exchange proposed in the legislation sounds good the FWS would add over 61,000 acres to the Izembek NWR and nearby Alaska Peninsula NWR with over 45,000 of those designated as wilderness. In exchange, the FWS would grant a 206-acre easement to the state of Alaska to build the road.
However, these 206 acres are the biological heart of the refuge and its destruction would have a severe impact on the birds and wildlife that depend on the refuge. More than 98% of the worlds Pacific brant population fuel up on the eelgrass in the lagoon prior to their nonstop, 3000 mile trip to Mexico! And the nearby wetlands offer nesting sites for thousands of birds. A road through these sensitive lands will have profound impacts on wildlife and the proposed exchange lands would not provide comparable habitat value to compensate for this irreversible impact to fish, wildlife, and wetlands.
Its not about quantity its about quality.
The proposed road would connect the two small villages of King Cove (population 807) and Cold Bay (population 80). In 1998, advocates argued they needed a road through the fragile wilderness, but Congress ruled that such a road was not in the public interest. They instead gave the Alaskans $37.5 million to address their concerns with funding to upgrade medical facilities, upgrade the airport and to build a state of the art hovercraft that would be able to transport people in a medical emergency.
More than $25 million has already been spent on construction of a road connecting King Cove to the hovercraft terminal. Steep slopes and unstable volcanic soils have forced re-routing and contributed to construction delays and escalating costs. Cost estimates for this part of the road are a whopping $1.6 million per mile and the annual maintenance for this gravel road is expected to be at least $93,000! Extending the road, in some of the harshest weather conditions in America, is expected to cost you, the American taxpayer, countless additional millions for construction and maintenance.
Furthermore, the hovercraft, which travels on a cushion of air up to 58 MPH across water, ice and land is up and running and has so far transported over 1090 passengers, 110 vehicles and 27 successful medivacs.
The proposed gravel road is in a major migration path of the declining Southern Alaska Peninsula Caribou Herd and the local brown bear population. These and other species would have their denning sites and feeding sites on different sides of the road, resulting in increased collisions and inability to adapt. Vehicle traffic and increased human presence through the narrow, 3-mile isthmus, will impact species utilizing both the Izembek Lagoon on the north and Kinzarof Lagoon on the south.
Road construction through the fragile tundra would disturb nesting shorebirds and waterfowl and could result in increased silt loads, having a disastrous effect on the health of the eelgrass beds that the waterfowl species depend upon. Furthermore, the chemicals used in maintenance, especially during the winter months, could lead to dramatic loss of vegetation.
HOW YOU CAN HELP!
Use the Refuge Action Network (RAN) to contact your U.S. Representative and urge him or her to oppose the Izembek and Alaska Peninsula Refuge and Wilderness Enhancement Act of 2007, H.R. 2801. You are encouraged to personalize the letter provided below.
Your message will be sent to each of the following targets:
Your U.S. Representative
A sample message appears below, which you may edit before sending.
Protect the Izembek NWR; Oppose H.R. 2801,the Road To Nowhere
Dear Representative,
I am writing to urge you to vote against H.R. 2801, the Izembek and Peninsula Refuge and Wilderness Act of 2007 introduced by Representative Don Young. The legislation is a solution in search of a problem and would result in the fleecing of American taxpayers to the tune of $30 million, while harming important wildlife habitat and designated Wilderness in Izembek National Wildlife Refuge, AK.
Congress opposed this proposed road in 1998 saying it was not in the best interest of the American public. Congress instead authorized U.S. taxpayer funding, $37.5 million, to address the concerns of the communities, including funding for upgrades to medical and airport facilities and for a state of the art hovercraft which has provided 27 safe, reliable and fast medical evacuations since it became operational in February 2007. Even the Mayor of the Aleutians East Borough, Stanley Mack, a proponent for the road, stated at their March 2008 meeting, the hovercraft is saving lives, and it is doing what it is supposed to.
H.R. 2801 would authorize a land exchange allowing a road to be built connecting the two small villages of King Cove (population 807) and Cold Bay (population 80) -- right through the biological heart of Izembek National Wildlife Refuge, a designated wilderness. The legislation facilitates the road by exchanging a right of way for state and native-owned lands.
On paper, the land exchange sounds good the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) would add more that 61,000 acres to the Izembek NWR and nearby Alaska Peninsula NWR with over 45,000 of the total designated as wilderness. In exchange, the FWS would grant a 206-acre easement to the state of Alaska to build the road. However, these 206 acres are the biological heart of the refuge and its destruction would have a severe impact on the birds and wildlife that depend on the refuge. A road through these sensitive lands will have profound impacts on wildlife and the proposed exchange lands would not provide comparable habitat value to compensate for this irreversible impact to fish, wildlife, and wetlands. Its not about quantity its about quality.
Established in 1960 to protect habitat for the Pacific black brant, the 417,000-acre Izembek NWR is located on the Alaskan peninsula with 95% designated as wilderness. Wildlife here is abundant, from brown bears, caribou and wolves to seals, seal lions and sea otters. At the heart of the refuge lies the 150 square mile Izembek lagoon, containing some of the largest eelgrass beds in the world, which the Pacific brant and other avian species depend upon for survival. Over 98% of the worlds Pacific brant population fuel up on the eelgrass in the lagoon prior to their nonstop, 3000-mile trip to Mexico and the nearby wetlands offer nesting sites for thousands of birds.
Please vote NO on H.R. 2801 and protect the Izembek National Wildlife Refuge, the first wetlands area in North American to be recognized under the Ramsar Convention as a Wetland of International Importance. Your name and address here
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