"The Biden administration on Wednesday endorsed a land exchange that would allow a controversial gravel road to be built through the Izembek National Wildlife Refuge in Southwest Alaska.

The Biden administration won’t make the final call on the road, which would travel about 16 miles through the refuge. That decision will fall to the incoming administration of President-elect Donald Trump. But support for the potential road is a first for a Democratic administration, officials said.

The road has long been sought by Alaska’s elected leaders and the village of King Cove, a community of 900 where residents want to improve access to medical care by linking to a jet-accessible runway in Cold Bay. Advocates generally cheered the move."

Alex DeMarban reports for the Anchorage Daily News November 13, 2024. [2]