Trump’s Wilderness Deal Will Decimate the “Most Important Wildlife Refuge in All of Alaska”

From the article:

“The Interior Department is trading the swath of Izembek’s wilderness to Aleut Natives so their cannery town of King Cove can build the final 12 miles of a 37-mile gravel road to the Cold Bay Airport... the rural Aleut government of King Cove, which has spent almost 50 years lobbying Congress and the Interior Department. The Aleut say the road is essential to transport patients with medical emergencies to the Cold Bay Airport[.]”

A tribe wants a road to connect their village to the only airport... Seems pretty reasonable.

Further: “King Cove’s commercial fishermen—including all of its Aleut leaders—would qualify under those income restrictions to use the road for transporting their fish and seafood.”

It’s their native land, their native fishing grounds, and fishing is their only source of tribal income.

This journalist, or anyone, has every right to oppose roads in federal wilderness areas. It’s part of the administrative process that makes being a public land owner cool and actually meaningful.

That said, I’d encourage this journalist to go spend some time with and learning the circumstances of this tribe and it’s needs, then write this.

/r/Hunting Thread Parent Link - motherjones.com