Izembek Wilderness

Some 300,000 acres of Izembek National Wildlife Refuge has been designated as wilderness. The wilderness wraps almost all the way around the Izembek Lagoon, a 5-mile wide and 30-mile long ecosystem that contains a huge bed of eelgrass (probably the largest bed of eelgrass on Earth). Between the freshwater wetlands, coastal marshes and open waters, this lagoon provides shelter, nesting space and food for millions of migratory birds. This area has been recognized as a Wetland of International Importance, and the American Bird Conservancy has designated the area as a Globally Important Bird Area. However, all this recognition and designation hasn't stopped state and local politicians and residents from wanting to push a 17-mile, one-lane road through the area to connect Cold Bay with King Cove. Environmentalists counter that the road would interfere with the nesting habits of the threatened Black Brant goose, thousands of which call Izembek home in the summer months. It seems it's up to the politicians in Congress to make the decision...

2010: The decison has been made: there's a land swap in process to allow the road to pass and add another chunk of land to the wilderness area.