Federal Judge Overturns 19-Mile Izembek Refuge Road Swap Under Conservation Statutes

ANCHORAGE, AK — A U.S. District Judge in Anchorage delivered a landmark environmental ruling on Tuesday, striking down an executive land exchange agreement that would have permitted the construction of a 19-mile gravel road through the heart of the Izembek National Wildlife Refuge.

Statutory Rulings Under ANILCA and ESA

The court determined that the Department of the Interior's proposed transfer of 12,000 acres of federal wilderness to the King Cove Corporation violated the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act (ANILCA) and the Endangered Species Act. The judge ruled that the agency arbitrarily reversed decades of scientific findings without adequately addressing the catastrophic impact on the Izembek isthmus, a internationally recognized wetland critical to Pacific black brant, emperor geese, and threatened northern sea otters.

The ruling marks the fourth time in a decade that federal courts have invalidated administrative attempts to build the King Cove road corridor.

Community Health and Wilderness Conservation Clashes

The proposed road has been a contentious issue in Alaska for over 40 years. Residents and tribal leaders in King Cove have long advocated for the road to connect their isolated fishing village to an all-weather airport in Cold Bay for emergency medical evacuations during severe maritime storms.

Conversely, national conservation groups argued that building a commercial transportation corridor through designated wilderness would dismantle federal protections across millions of acres of Alaska public lands.

State Appellate Response and Next Steps

The Alaska Department of Law and the King Cove Corporation expressed disappointment with the ruling and announced intentions to appeal the decision to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.