"Environmental Groups Sue To Block Road Through Alaska Refuge"

"ANCHORAGE, Alaska — Nine environmental groups sued the U.S. government Wednesday to block a land trade that could lead to construction of a road through a national wildlife refuge in Alaska that is habitat for migrating waterfowl.

The groups sued Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke, who signed an agreement last week to swap land in Izembek National Wildlife Refuge for private land held by an Alaska Native village corporation.

The village of King Cove wants a road through Izembek for land access to the nearby community of Cold Bay, home to an all-weather airport. The road would slice through the length of a strip of land separating lagoons used by hundreds of thousands of waterfowl."

Dan Joling reports for the Associated Press February 1, 2018.