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The U.S. Justice Department is appealing a decision by the Federal District Court of Alaska blocking the federal government from exchanging land with the state and an Alaskan Native Corporation to build a road through the Izembek Wildlife Refuge.
The U.S. Department of Justice filed notice it is appealing a decision by the Federal District Court of Alaska blocking the federal government from exchanging land with the state and an Alaskan Native Corporation to enable them to build a road through the Izembek Wildlife Refuge to connect the residents of King Cove to Cold Bay and its airport.
King Cove is located near the tip of the Alaskan Peninsula. Currently, its residents can travel to and from King Cove only via boat or airplane. In emergencies, evacuation is typically done by the U.S. Coast Guard. In addition, air travel from King Cove is unreliable. Its small, gravel airstrip is closed because of bad weather more than 100 days per year, and almost 40 percent of the flights that are not cancelled are affected by weather. Unlike King Cove, Cold Bayâs all-weather airport is closed an average of ten days per year and has the fifth-longest runway in Alaska.