In a stunning reversal, the Biden-Harris Administration decided that allowing the people of King Cove, Alaska to have a life-saving road to the airport in Cold Bay is OK after all.
For the entire four years of Biden-Harris, the administration blocked a land swap that would allow the road to be built through the Izembek National Wildlife Refuge so that those needing to be medevaced from King Cove would be able to reach the all-weather airport. The weather in King Cove is such that many times planes cannot land there due to severe crosswinds. The weather in the Alaska Gulf and Bering Sea area can prevent access due to wind and waves.
But the land swap that Biden has ok’d may be seen as a rotten deal. Some have even called it “extortion.”
The federal government proposes taking tens of thousands of acres in exchange for about 206 acres that would be needed for the road. Under President Donald Trump, it was going to be a fair-market-value trade.
In a draft environmental review document released this week, the administration stated that it supported pursuing the road’s construction, under the conditions that take advantage of Alaska Natives.
In the deal proposed by the Biden-Harris Administration, approximately 13,300 acres of land owned by King Cove (Native) Corporation (surface estate but excluding tidelands and submerged land of rivers, streams, and lakes determined navigable for purposes of title through federal judicial or administrative procedures), located near Mortensens Lagoon and the mouth of Kinzarof Lagoon, would be conveyed to the U.S. and added to the Izembek National Wildlife Refuge.
The Kinzarof Lagoon parcel would also be added to Izembek Wilderness. As a part of the exchange, the King Cove Corporation would also relinquish its selection of 5,430 acres in Izembek Wilderness on the east side of Cold Bay made under the terms of the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (ANCSA).
The feds want approximately 1,600 acres (surface and subsurface estate) within the Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge on Sitkinak Island, including land withdrawn for use by the U.S. Coast Guard (Coast Guard) and approximately 170 acres of refuge-managed land would be transferred to the State.
Approximately 43,093 acres of land owned by the State of Alaska, adjacent to the North Creek and Pavlof Units of the Alaska Peninsula National Wildlife Refuge, would be conveyed to the United States (U.S.) and added to the Alaska Peninsula National Wildlife Refuge as wilderness. This includes the subsurface estate, but does not include submerged lands including tidelands, lakes, rivers, and streams to be retained by the State of Alaska.
Sen. Lisa Murkowski was overjoyed with the proposed deal.
“There has never once been a moment of doubt in my mind that a life-saving road is the only way to truly protect the good people of King Cove,” Murkowski said. “After a more than a year-long process, and after reviewing the options to protect residents’ health and safety at all times, a Democratic administration has sided with King Cove and determined that a life-saving road can be built safely, while also protecting the environment.”
She then thanked outgoing Interior Secretary Deb Haaland.
“I thank everyone at Interior for their work on a strong, defensible analysis that adds to the overwhelming case for a life-saving road. I spoke with Secretary Haaland this morning and thanked her for visiting King Cove with me, for listening to the people who actually live there about the environmental injustices they face every day, and for directing her team to make an honest recommendation to her about the path forward. That path forward is clearly a life-saving road, and we must now finish the job by finalizing the process so that a road can be built as soon as possible,” she said.
Sen. Dan Sullivan was more careful in his response.
“I’m still reviewing the details, but to be clear, after decades of the Alaska Native people of King Cove pleading with their federal government to be allowed to build an 11-mile, life-saving road from King Cove to Cold Bay, the former Trump Administration resolved this issue fairly,” Sullivan said.
“President Biden’s Secretary of Interior Deb Haaland heartlessly killed that solution. Now, after nearly four years—and the loss of at least one life—the community’s health and safety is being leveraged for an outrageous price: 31,000 acres in exchange for 500 acres,” he said. “While I’m relieved that this life-saving road might be built, Alaska Native lives should never be leveraged, especially by their own federal government. The people of King Cove deserve much better.”
Rep. Mary Peltola remained silent on the decision by the Biden Administration to rip off Alaska Natives.
Rep Peltola is too busy hoarding more donations for her failed campaign and lost election to have any concern about Natives giving up the lion’s share of their prized land to the feds.
She could care less as she will be on Prominence Point overlooking Lost Anchorage.
The obvious solution is to wait for 70 days. A much fairer deal will be just around the corner.
Absolutely!
100%
To the folks of King Cove:
Hold tight!! Do not concede a inch of your land!!. You have waited this long and now with President Trump returning, it would be reasonable to assume his approving the road ASAP without any concessions on your part.
Forget Senator Murkowski’s claim of efforts, be that what they may, the fact remains the Democrat’s continued strangulation of your population and need is paramount has been life threatening throughout your struggles to achieve a simple normal thinking solution to a deadly situation. So, hang on, your solution is at hand.
Cheers.
Amen
I say wait as well and then ask for more. ask for an open two lane rd all the way to Cold Bay from King Cove year round, no restriction. that way every one can have access, not just the hurt. Best opportunity is coming up through the Trump Administration
i agree and without the “extortion” part of the deal the Biden administration was looking to achieve.
I agree. Can’t believe Murkowski isn’t ashamed of herself.
King Cove should consider waiting a couple of months and obtain a better deal from the incoming administration. Reach out to the Trump admin transition team and secure their position and support on this issue.
It makes no sense that they need to surrender any of their lands for a critical road access.
The lands within the federal fiefdoms are excessive and poorly managed.
Just approve the road access, with no trades, for the obvious reason that the lives and health of human beings is the #1 priority for any government.
Who cares about Peltola, she is just another liberal, air headed, corrupt White Karen.
Lisa has been trying to get this pushed through for a long time. I remember seven or eight years ago, sharing a plane with her and she landed in Dillingham, to pick us up, she was on her way back from down there, having been through a meeting with them. I’m glad it’s finally a done deal.
Adoration of the leftist/statist/globalist Lisa M. Why do you bristle when I call you a leftist?
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Seriously, Lisa did NOTHING to make this happen. Zero. Nada. Zilch, zip, nothing. Do not give her any credit whatsoever.
She put in the leg work. King Cove knows this. Lots of water and votes under the bridge since that hug.
King Cove residents……..you’ve got BIG help coming on January 20th. And it’s not coming from Lisa Murkowski.
He already had 4 years to do it once.
Murkowski shut up! They didn’t do it for you. And as for that useless twit Peltola She’s history
Wait until Trump is in office!
Again; what does anyone expect from the democrats? Take, take take and washed with the blood of a sacrifice too. And even mentioning the traitor Murkovski is repugnant, but necessary to show how deep the miasma flows.
Does the dog know what to do with the car when caught? How many $$$$ to build and maintain 11 miles of all weather road and who is going to pay? If you can’t build a road to Juneau ???
What do you value a life at Frank?
Your view is short of a car wreck.
Maybe you should stick to chasing cars and not telling us how much a life cost.
The Federal Highway Administration is going to cover the bulk of the construction costs, and the AK State DOT&PF is going to cover the cost of maintenance. Pretty much the same as EVERY OTHER ROAD in Alaska.
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And the cost, and complexity of building a road to Juneau is incredibly higher than King Cove. Not two or three times as complex, more like two/three hundreds the cost/complexity.
Maybe, if we do it. Bring in the Norwegians. They have an extensive road system which goes to far more difficult places.
Plus get away from the stupid EPA regulations…
Same was said about the ALCAN
Oh Frank. A competent bulldozer operator can have it cut in a week. If you are really concerned about money, you should lobby for the residents to be able to freely drive it and close the King Cove airport. The road maintenance would cost a tenth of the price needed to operate the airport, the residents could save the hundreds on tickets to and from Cold Bay, and prices of food and services in King Cove would drop.
But of course, you don’t actually care about the money or people…. Liberals never do.
Oh “frank”…
We can build a road to Juneau. The legislature just doesn’t want to.
Land swaps are rarely one to one on an acre basis. it is about the environmental value of the land. Not all bird nesting area, wetlands, or forests are equally productive.
It is quite possible the land swap is close to even when you consider how well each parcel supports the flora and fauna that justified the Izenbek Wildlife Refuge.
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However, having said that, this seems excessive. I find it difficult to believe that in order to equalize the environmental impacts you need that significant of a difference in land. This strikes as more of a poison pill.
This state has been taken to the cleaners by this administration .
We should hire a bunch of lawyers and stop any construction in every left leaning state.
Per Lisa, “… a Democratic administration has sided with King Cove…” So tell me again, to which party does Lisa claim allegiance? She’s very selective with her praise and recognition. Does anyone fall for this crap? Is anyone so gullible to believe her?
500 acres is nothing in that county. Its huge. Give them the road right of way. We don’t need any trade. The migratory birds won’t notice.
It sounds like the Biden Administration along w/Peola and Kamela, they’re all throwing a fit, becuse they lost and they KNOW IT..Petola doesn’t represent her people anymore, she lives in Anchorage throwing a temper tantrum due to losing big time..She has driven her people further away from her.
I agree that the King Cove residents should hold out for a couple more months.
Well, let’s just wait a few months and then build it without a trade. They want to make the trade now to maximize their land exchange while they still have control.
Glad to the road is possible but this is a shafting by the gooberment.
Great news! Now we can drive from the 2 bars in King Cove to the Bearfoot bar in Cold Bay!
Interesting to know how much it will cost to build that road ? I bet the Feds study it for decades and the permitting will take literally a generation . I bet that road takes twenty years and $100M . Permits for gravel pits and waste pits and not to mention the environmental impact study . And what if they dig up an archeological site and ancient living area .
The State was overseeing a project in Kotzebue several years ago and dug up a body in gravel pit . Cost several million dollars to study and excavate area and found more bodies . Then how’s they die .
Look at the Cooper Landing bypass fiasco. After nearly 50 years of stalling and studies, it was finally approved in 2018 with expected completion in 2026. Now it turns out it will cost more than $1 billion and won’t be finished until 2032.
The west end of Unimak Island has a road between Cape Sarichef and Scotch Cap which was built during WWII
The construction was done by a bulldozer moving on site material. The few culverts were oil drums with ends knocked out and welded together.
You needed 4 wheel drive and a high clearance to drive it, but it operated for decades before both light stations were unmanned and automated. Unimak is classic Aleutian island terrain and very similar to the King Cove area except no marsh.
A smiler road could be built to King Cove for minimal funds. There is no reason a large 4 WD vehicle cannot be used instead of an ambulance style van.
Quit talking and fire up your Cat to get to work.
King Cove, you have waited this long, don’t sign anything until after January 20th. I think it will get done for equal land exchange, or possibly nothing since this is the best for the community. Sorry our current Senators could not get this done sooner.
Refuse it and let Trump fix it.
How? And explain why he didn’t do it first time around. That time seems like a distant fog doesn’t it?
Now that the Peter Pan cannery has closed,there will be far fewer people that need it.
Build the road. Open it to the public.
Wait for Trump. Negotiate a more reasonable deal.
Lisa is a traitor to the Alaska Natives she pretends to adore. As if the federal Gov’t doesn’t already own enough of Alaska!
Alaskans, please wait until Trump is installed! You’ll get a much better deal.
That’s why the bush shouldn’t vote for her.
Natives know her. Your reasoning is flawed. They are an intuitive people.
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