Henry Mack: Alaska Native corporation land swap will save lives

Thursday, July 28, 2011  

"My name is Henry Mack and I am the mayor of King Cove. While most folks in Alaska came from somewhere else, my family has always lived and fished on the shores of the Alaska Peninsula. As a commercial fisherman, going out to sea has shaped my values: hard work, perseverance and enjoyment of each moment because life lived on the edge of wilderness can be quickly claimed.

For more than three decades now, King Cove has battled to have a road to Cold Bay's all-weather airport. For us, it is, and has always been, about transportation safety and dependability, allowing everyone, from our elders to our children, to reach medical centers in times of emergency. When the Omnibus Public Lands Act of 2009 passed, we crossed a major hurdle. Pending approval by the U.S. Secretary of the Interior, a small, single-lane gravel road, requiring about 200 acres of federal government land, will be built from King Cove through a small section of the Izembek National Wildlife Refuge to Cold Bay. In exchange for the federal road corridor, the state of Alaska and the King Cove (Native) Corp. will give up about 60,000 acres to the federal government -- that's 60,000 versus the 200 acres for our road -- how can that not be a great deal?

I remain vigilant because someone must speak for the five King Cove residents who needed emergency care last winter. On one of those nights, King Cove's winds blew more than 80 mph relentlessly with less than a half-mile visibility. It was a tough time to be 80-year old Lucy Kenezuroff with chest pains. After flying 300 miles to reach her, the Coast Guard helicopter could not land and diverted to Cold Bay. Not until morning, 17 hours from the first call for help, was she on her way to a doctor's care. So when I attend EIS meetings, Lucy and her family are with me, and I remember their white-knuckle night when time was measured in ragged heartbeats."

Get the Story:
Henry Mack: Road from King Cove to Cold Bay is vital (The Anchorage Daily News 7/28)