Izembek national wildlife refuge

A controversial stretch of road connecting two Eastern Aleutian communities is heading toward construction.The Alaska Department of Transportation has applied for a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers permit to build the road and is taking public comments on the proposed work until Jan. 12.

Department of the Interior Secretary Doug Burgum announced a land exchange agreement Thursday with King Cove’s Native corporation, making way for the controversial construction of what many consider to be a lifesaving stretch of road.

At Izembek Lagoon, Pacific black brant are choosing to overwinter in the Bering Sea — drawn by warming waters and the eelgrass meadows beneath.

The road would give King Cove residents access to potentially life-saving medical care, but it could threaten key subsistence species and create a dangerous precedent.

On his first day back in office, President Trump signed an executive order that aims to undo most of his predecessor’s work on Alaska energy and environmental issues. The order entitled “Unleashing Alaska’s Extraordinary Resource Potential” was among dozens Trump signed.

For decades, King Cove’s roughly 800 residents have called for a road they say could save lives in emergencies. Neither city has a hospital, so residents rely on medical evacuations to reach Anchorage for urgent medical care. The Biden administration last week endorsed the proposal, recommending a land exchange with King Cove’s Native corporation so the road can be built. But that road would go through a federally protected wilderness area. While residents argue it’s a matter of life and death, environmental advocates say the road could threaten vital wildlife habitat — and set a dangerous precedent.

Congresswoman Mary Peltola has served as the State of Alaska’s only representative in the U.S. House since 2022. She was previously a tribal judge and is the first Alaska Native person in Congress. She’s running for reelection in November and stopped by Unalaska to hear more about the community’s unique concerns.

The military team used explosives to dispose of the munition where it was found — in the middle of the 315,000 acre refuge, which contains one of the world’s largest eelgrass beds.

Lawyers for King Cove are pushing back against a Thursday decision from the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals that effectively permits the U.S. government to withdraw from a land swap that would have allowed for construction of the controversial King Cove road. The Eastern Aleutian community of around 750 people has wanted to build a road to the airstrip in Cold Bay for decades, which they say would provide access to emergency medical care. But different conservation groups have pushed back, because the road would pass through a national wildlife sanctuary.

Deb Haaland, the first Native American cabinet secretary, made no commitments to building a road long sought by residents that would cut through a national wildlife refuge on the Alaska Peninsula. But she listened intently on a whirlwind day of flights, tours and meetings.