I thought people on this list might be interested. I picked this message up
from a list server about Kansas birds but it is closer to our homes. It
comes from the Ornithological Council, a joint effort of the North American
ornithological societies.

>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: Ornithological Council [SMTP:oc at CNIE.ORG]
>Sent: Friday, January 30, 1998 3:23 PM
>To: OCNET-L at UMDD.UMD.EDU
>Subject: IZEMBEK NWR Legislation
>
>>From: gww at abcbirds.org (Gerald Winegrad)
>>Subject: IZEMBEK Legislation
>>Dear Friends in Bird Conservation: PACIFIC BLACK BRANT, EMPEROR GEESE,
>>STELLAR'S EIDERS, AND TUNDRA SWANS ARE ALL THREATENED BY LEGISLATION THAT
>>MAY BE VOTED ON IN THE HOUSE AND SENATE SOON. YOUR HELP IS NEEDED TO STOP
>>THIS LEGISLATION FROM ORDERING THE SUSPENSION OF ALL ENVIRONMENTAL LAWS
>AND
>>THE CONSTRUCTION OF A ROAD THROUGH THE IZEMBECK NWR IN ALASKA. PLEASE
>READ
>>THE FOLLOWING AND CALL, WRITE, FAX, AND E-MAIL YOUR CONGRESSMAN AND
>SENATORS.
>>*^*^*^*^*^^*^*^*^*^**^*^*^*^*^^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^**^*^*^*^*^*
>^*^*
>^*^**
>>Action Alert Action Alert Action Alert
>>
>>
>>Oppose H.R. 2259, The Izembek Road To Ruin Act
>>
>>Representative Don Young (R-AK) is pressing for a floor vote as early
>>as next week on HR 2259, a bill that would pave the way for
>>construction of a road through Izembek National Wildlife Refuge and
>>congressionally-designated wilderness. The proposed road would connect
>>the two small communities of King Cove and Cold Bay in a remote section
>>of the Alaska Peninsula. The bill would threaten a number of migratory
>>birds and other wildlife species, waive existing environmental laws,
>>set a dangerous precedent by establishing the only new permanent road
>>in a congressionally-designated wilderness, and ignore consideration of
>>viable transportation alternatives currently under review by the State
>>of Alaska.
>>
>>HR 2259 could have a devastating effect on wildlife populations, and
>>especially migratory birds using the Pacific Flyway on their spring and
>>fall migrations. The lagoons and wetlands on the refuge are essential
>>habitat for the world's entire population of Pacific black brant and
>>emperor geese, the federally threatened Stellar's Eider, Tundra Swans,
>>Brown bear, caribou, wolf, and other wildlife. The Department of the
>>Interior recommends President Clinton veto the bill if it is sent to
>>him by Congress in its current form.
>>
>>The bill passed the House Resources Committee last fall and could be
>>brought to the House floor for a vote as early as next Tuesday,
>>February 2. A companion bill, S. 1092, sponsored by Senator Frank
>>Murkowski, was reported out of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources
>>Committee on October 15 and may soon go to the floor of the Senate as
>>well.
>>
>>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>>What You Can Do!
>>
>> Call the Capitol Switchboard urge your Representative to oppose HR
>> 2259, and protect the integrity of our national wildlife refuges
>> and wilderness areas.
>>
>> Call the Capitol Switchboard and urge your Senators to oppose
>> S. 1092, the Senate version of H.R. 2259.
>>
>> CAPITAL SWITCHBOARD: 202-224-3121
>>
>>For more information contact Tom Uniack, at 202-682-9400 ext. 248.
>>
>>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>>Background:
>>
>>Last fall, the House Resources Committee reported the "King Cove Health
>>and Safety Act of 1997" that mandates construction of a damaging and
>>unnecessary 30-mile highway through 11 miles of Izembek National
>>Wildlife Refuge , including 7 miles of congressionally-designated
>>wilderness.
>>
>>Proponents of the legislation say a road is important to the health and
>>safety of the approximately 1000 residents of King Cove and Cold Bay.
>>At issue, is the ability of King Cove residents to make the short
>>flight to Cold Bay's all weather airport en route to Anchorage during a
>>medical emergency. There has been 5 fatalities resulting from 2
>>accidents since 1980 on flights between King Cove and Cold Bay.
>>
>>The State of Alaska is currently looking at the transportation needs of
>>the two communities and exploring different transportation
>>alternatives. Conservation groups urge the state and Representative
>>Young to look at other transportation alternatives which may be safer
>>than a road including ferry and helicopter service between the two
>>communities, tele-medicine, and better on-site medical facilities in
>>King Cove.
>>
>>Opponents of the road include the Department of the Interior, the US
>>Fish and Wildlife Service and local and national conservation and
>>sportsman organizations including Defenders of Wildlife, The Wilderness
>>Society, National Audubon Society, Sierra Club, National Wildlife
>>Federation, Natural Resources Defense Council, US-PIRG, National
>>Wildlife Refuge Association, Friends of the Earth, Alaska Wilderness
>>League, Ducks Unlimited, and the Wildlife Management Institute.
>>
>>Izembek National Wildlife Refuge is a world-class wetland area and the
>>first designated in the United States under the Convention of Wetlands
>>of International Importance (commonly known as Ramsar). The proposed
>>road would bisect a three-mile wide stretch of land between Izembek and
>>Kinzarof Lagoons, an area full of essential habitat for a variety of
>>species that live on or migrate through the refuge. The refuge is one
>>of the premiere staging areas for waterfowl, hosting the world's entire
>>population of Pacific black brant (about 150,000 birds) that arrive
>>each fall to feed on eelgrass before the long migration south along the
>>Pacific Flyway. The world's entire population of emperor geese also
>>use the refuge as an important staging area during their annual spring
>>and fall migrations. The lagoons in the 315,000-acre refuge are
>>important over-wintering spots for the federally threatened Stellar's
>>Eider and serve as breeding grounds for Tundra Swans. Brown bear,
>>caribou, anadromous fish, wolf, wolverine, harbor seal, sea otter, and
>>other wildlife also utilize the refuge.
>>
>>HR 2259 would set a dangerous precedent by allowing a road to cut
>>through seven miles of Izembek Wilderness. In 1980, the Alaska
>>National Interest Lands Conservation Act established 95% of the Izembek
>>refuge as congressionally-designated wilderness. Congress has never
>>authorized a new permanent road in a congressionally-designated
>>wilderness area. Sec 4 of the Wilderness Act states, "...there shall be
>>no commercial enterprise and no permanent road within any wilderness
>>area designated by this Act..."
>>
>>HR 2259 completely goes against the purposes and missions of the
>>National Wildlife Refuge System and the recent bipartisan legislation,
>>the National Wildlife Refuge System Improvement Act of 1997 that was
>>signed into law by the President on October 9. A road through refuge
>>lands is not compatible with the needs and purposes of Izembek National
>>Wildlife Refuge or the new law governing management of the Refuge
>>System.
>>
>>HR 2259 exempts or overrides parts of various environmental laws
>>including the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act, Alaska
>>Native Claims Settlement Act, National Wildlife Refuge System
>>Administration Act and the National Wildlife Refuge System Improvement
>>Act.
>>Gerald W. Winegrad
>>Vice President for Policy
>>American Bird Conservancy
>>1250 24th St., NW Suite 400
>>Washington, DC 20037
>>Phone: 202-778-9666
>>FAX: 202-778-9778
>>
>David E. Blockstein, Ph.D.
>Chair
>The Ornithological Council
>1725 K St. NW #212
>Washington, DC 20006-1401
>202-530-5810; fax 202-628-4311
>OC at CNIE.org
>http://www.nmnh.si.edu/BIRDNET
>"Providing Scientific Information about Birds"
>
>

Deb Beutler
Department of Zoology
P.O. Box 644236
Washington State Univerisity
Pullman, Whitman Co., WA
dbeutler at wsunix.wsu.edu