Graphic Courtesy King Cove |
In 2018, former Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke under the Trump administation signed a land exchange agreement to facilitate the construction of the life-saving road. However, that land exchange agreement continues to be held up by litigation from environmental groups.
Murkowski has reiterated her request to current Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland under the Biden administration – who has prioritized tribal consultation – to visit King Cove and finally address this decades-long environmental injustice.
Quoting a news release from King Cove, the memory of former U.S. Interior Secretary Jewell's rejection of a congressionally-approved land exchange still haunts King Cove. Spokeswoman
Della Trumble of the King Cove (Native) Corporation and other residents have endured 157 medevacs over the eight years since that decision. Many of those medevacs have been carried out by the U.S. Coast Guard in dangerous weather conditions, threatening the lives of both the crew and patients.
“My family and others in King Cove were full of hope while getting ready to celebrate Christmas that year,” said Trumble. “Former Secretary Jewell called on December 23rd to give us the crushing news. It was absolutely devastating to hear.”
Despite that disheartening decision, King Cove residents have refused to give up on their dream of having a road that would provide them with safe and dependable ground transportation to the Cold Bay Airport. The mostly Aleut (Alaska Native) community is located between two volcanic peaks and is frequently plagued by hurricane-force winds, stormy weather and dense fog, which grounds or delays plane travel at least 30 percent of the time.
“We’re hopeful U.S. Interior Secretary Deb Haaland will visit King Cove soon to talk with residents and see first-hand the daily challenges we face,” said King Cove Mayor Warren Wilson. “Many people in King Cove have either been medevaced themselves or have family members who experienced dangerous medevacs during harsh weather,” he said.
“We’re hopeful U.S. Interior Secretary Deb Haaland will visit King Cove soon to talk with residents and see first-hand the daily challenges we face,” said Wilson. “Many people in King Cove have either been medevaced themselves or have family members who experienced dangerous medevacs during harsh weather.”
King Cove Tribal, City and Aleutians East Borough leaders met virtually with Secretary Haaland in August.
“It was a good meeting, and she seemed genuinely concerned about our health and safety access issue,” said Agdaagux Tribal President Etta Kuzakin. Kuzakin was medevaced from King Cove by the Coast Guard in 2013 in stormy weather while in premature labor with her youngest daughter, Sunnie Rae. The mother and daughter would not have survived without the Coast Guard rescue, which only occurred because the Guard was nearby on another mission.
“We know that Secretary Haaland understands we love our families, and we want them to be out of harm’s way,” Kuzakin added. “We also love King Cove, which is our home.”
“Secretary Haaland understands our deep-rooted connection to our ancestral land where we and our Aleut families have lived for thousands of years,” said King Cove (Native) Corporation Spokeswoman Della Trumble. “She recognizes the trust responsibility the federal government has to Native people.”
“We’re hopeful the Secretary will support us,” said Aleutians East Borough Mayor Alvin Osterback. “This issue is an injustice the federal government needs to correct so King Cove residents can feel safe when they require access to a higher level of care.”
Numerous King Cove officials expressed hope that Secretary Haaland would uphold the federal government’s trust responsibility and help them. The officials held a teleconference with Haaland in August and have asked her to visit their community to better understand the need for a life-saving road. Murkowski joined King Cove officials in reiterating their request for Secretary Haaland to travel to King Cove.
“Secretary Haaland understands our deep-rooted connection to our ancestral land where we and our Aleut families have lived for thousands of years,” said King Cove (Native) Corporation Spokeswoman Della Trumble. “She recognizes the trust responsibility the federal government has to Native people.”
U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) has reiterated her unwavering support for a life-saving road for King Cove.
“Secretary Jewell made a horrible decision eight years ago, and it is the good people of King Cove who have paid the price ever since. A single medevac is too many, let alone 157. It is simply unconscionable that the federal government has failed to protect these Alaskans’ health and safety, especially in the midst of a global pandemic that has made emergency medical access all the more critical,” Murkowski said.
Murkowski said, “I am calling on Secretary Haaland to visit King Cove to see the need to protect local residents’ health and safety as soon as possible. The federal government has a trust responsibility to the Tribes of King Cove, but it has been broken for decades. I also urge her to consider alternatives that could help us construct this road in an environmentally sound manner sooner than litigation will allow. Tribes must deliver a wide range of critical services, including healthcare, to their citizens. The Secretary must recognize this and act now, because King Cove needs this life-saving road more than ever.”
According to a King Cove news release, King Cove is located between two volcanic mountains near the end of the Alaska Peninsula, about 625 miles southwest of Anchorage. The small gravel airstrip in King Cove is typically closed by bad weather for more than 100 days each year. Nearly 40 percent of the flights not canceled are impacted or delayed by wind, turbulence, fog, rain, or snow squalls. By comparison, the all-weather airport in Cold Bay, which is less than 30 miles away from King Cove which has the longest runways in Alaska (10,000 feet) built during World War II. The airport is closed an average of 10 days per year.
The communities of King Cove and Cold Bay were separated in 1960 when the federal government – without consulting local residents – created the Izembek National Wildlife Refuge, and again in 1980 when Congress designated that refuge as wilderness. That action cut off the traditional land access between King Cove and the all-weather Cold Bay Airport.
King Cove’s 750 residents have been trying to reestablish access ever since. Cold Bay has one of the longest runways in Alaska (10,000 feet), built during World War II. King Cove’s small clinic must call for an air ambulance or the Coast Guard when patients suffer from traumatic injuries, serious heart, respiratory problems or childbirth. The nearest hospital is more than 600 miles away in Anchorage.
Eighteen deaths have been associated with the lack of land access, either due to plane crashes or an inability to reach timely medical treatment.
Source of News:
Aleutians East Borough
https://www.aleutianseast.orgCity of King Cove
http://cityofkingcove.comOffice of U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski
www.murkowski.senate. gov
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