Alaska Road would Destroy Wilderness in Izembek National Wildlife Refuge

Dear Senator [name]:

I strongly oppose a bill (S. 1680) that would remove federal wilderness protection from globally significant wetlands habitat at Izembek National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska in order to build a road between the small communities of King Cove and Cold Bay. The road would cut through wetlands that provide critical habitat for hundreds of thousands of the world's migratory birds, including nearly all the world's Pacific black brant and Emperor geese. The narrow neck of land where the road would be built is an important nesting area for tundra swans, and is a migration corridor for caribou and grizzly bears. I am writing to urge you to work with Senate leadership to strip this very dangerous bill from the package of public lands bills (H.R. 5151) that the Senate is scheduled to consider in November.

The proposed road would do great harm. The bill would remove Wilderness protection in order to build a road that Congress already determined would be incompatible with the wildlife and habitat protection purposes for which the Izembek National Wildlife Refuge was established. The land exchange proposed by S. 1680 would cut out the ecological heart of the Izembek National Wildlife Refuge in exchange for lands that offer no comparable value to the Refuge's migratory birds and other wildlife.

The proposed road would be expensive. Even though there is no specific appropriation attached to S. 1680, there is little doubt that U.S. taxpayers will be asked to pay again - probably many millions more dollars - to construct and maintain this unnecessary road. Enough is enough. In a time of economic turmoil it's time to put a halt to Alaska's special-interest demands.

Please urge Senate leadership to strip the Izembek road bill from the public lands package before it comes to the Senate floor for a vote. Thank you for your consideration.