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For Immediate Release
Rep. Don Young's pet road project to come under House scrutiny
Natural Resources Committee to review plans to carve a road through an Alaska refuge
WASHINGTON – The House Natural Resources Committee is scheduled to mark-up a bill from Rep. Don Young (R-Alaska) on Wednesday, April 23 that would require construction of a road through the heart of the Izembek National Wildlife Refuge. This road could potentially devastate wildlife and globally important wetlands in the refuge. It would also set a dangerous precedent by allowing the protective “wilderness” designation to be removed from the remote areas in this national wildlife refuge for the purpose of road construction. Below is a statement from Noah Matson, vice president for land conservation for Defenders of Wildlife.
“The House Natural Resources Committee has the opportunity to make it very clear that they won’t trade the United States’ legendary wildlife refuges and pristine wilderness for pet projects, such as Rep. Young’s road through the Izembek National Wildlife Refuge.
“The part of Izembek that this road would bisect is so renowned for its wildlife that it is designated as an internationally important wetland in addition to being a wilderness area. It is unacceptable to carve an unnecessary, costly and potentially devastating road through this world-class wildlife refuge.
“Building it when there are already more reliable, cost-effective means to get from King Cove to Cold Bay, including a $9 million hovercraft already subsidized by Congress courtesy of Mr. Young, is simply wasteful and irresponsible.”
Learn more about the threat to Izembek National Wildlife Refuge.
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Defenders of Wildlife is dedicated to the protection of all native animals and plants in their natural communities. With more than 1 million members and activists, Defenders of Wildlife is a leading advocate for innovative solutions to safeguard our wildlife heritage for generations to come. For more information, visit www.defenders.org.
