Trump team announces plans to open controversial road through Alaskan wildlife refuge
Trump administration approves plan to open Alaskan wildlife refuge to drilling
- The Trump administration has approved the construction of a controversial 11-mile road through Alaska's Izembek National Wildlife Refuge.
- Interior Secretary Doug Burgum signed the approval, stating the road is essential for residents of King Cove to access critical medical services in Cold Bay.
- Environmental groups and Alaska Native Tribes oppose the road, warning of “irreparable harm” to the refuge's ecosystem, vulnerable species and migratory birds.
- The approval includes a land swap where the King Cove Corporation will receive 500 acres within the refuge in exchange for thousands of acres of its own land.
- This decision is part of a broader package of measures by the Trump administration, which also includes reopening vast areas of the Coastal Plain for oil and gas leasing and advancing other infrastructure projects in Alaska.