On August 17, 2026, U.S. District Judge Sharon L. Gleason issued a ruling that nullified Interior Secretary Doug Burgum’s approval of a land exchange intended to fund an 18‑mile road linking King Cove with the all‑weather airport in Cold Bay. The decision, filed in consolidated cases brought by several Alaska Native villages and environmental groups, leaves the roughly 900 residents of King Cove without the overland route they have sought for decades.
Local impact
King Cove and Cold Bay sit about 18 miles apart on the western tip of the Alaska Peninsula, separated by the narrow Izembek Isthmus. Both communities are currently reachable only by sea or air, and medical evacuations rely on Cold Bay’s airport. Residents and local leaders, including the King Cove Corporation (KCC), have long argued that the lack of a reliable road has cost lives during severe storms that ground boats and planes.
The 2025 land exchange would have transferred roughly 490 acres of federal land within the Izembek National Wildlife Refuge—including about 336 acres of designated wilderness—to KCC for the road corridor. In return, KCC would have conveyed about 1,739 acres near Kinzarof Lagoon back to the United States and relinquished selection rights to additional refuge lands.
Legal reasoning
Judge Gleason affirmed that the Secretary had considered the economic and social needs of Alaskans under ANILCA, but she vacated the exchange for three independent statutory reasons:
- Title XI of ANILCA requires a specific process for transportation projects crossing conservation units. The court found the Secretary did not follow that process, rendering the exchange void.
- Endangered Species Act violations – the Fish and Wildlife Service’s biological opinion on the threatened Steller’s eider contained mathematical errors and failed to issue a proper incidental take statement.
- Refuge Act non‑compliance – the Secretary did not determine that the federal lands were “suitable for disposition,” a separate requirement from the ANILCA analysis.
Because Title XI includes automatic nullification language, the court concluded that the exchange could not stand, even though the plaintiffs acknowledged the community’s hardship.
What this means for King Cove
The land exchange is now void; the federal lands remain part of the Izembek National Wildlife Refuge and its wilderness area. The patent and warranty deed previously issued are nullified, and construction of the road cannot proceed under the former agreement. Any future attempt to build the road will need to satisfy Title XI procedures, correct the ESA consultation, and meet the Refuge Act’s suitability test.
Local officials and residents have expressed disappointment, noting that the decision places their safety needs beneath concerns for waterfowl and habitat. The court’s order underscores the complexity of balancing human needs with conservation statutes, but for now the community must continue to rely on air and sea transport for emergency medical care.
Original reporting: Must Read Alaska (Anchorage) — read the source article.
