"The Fish and Wildlife Service has recommended against a proposed land exchange that would allow a 20-mile road through the heart of Alaska's pristine Izembek National Wildlife Refuge, pleasing environmentalists who bitterly opposed it but angering state leaders who say the road is a public safety priority for nearby residents."

"At issue is FWS's final environmental impact statement (EIS) released today that includes a "preferred alternative" recommending against the road project through the Izembek refuge on the Aleutian Islands that would have provided a land route between King Cove and the Cold Bay Airport, which are separated by several miles of water.

The draft EIS for the road and land swap released last spring did not include a preferred alternative."

Scott Streater reports for Greenwire February 5, 2013. [2]