To anyone who thinks that Alaska is a long way off, think again. There are currently two bills being considered by the Senate that lay siege to our public lands in Alaska, meanwhile setting clear precedents for management of public lands closer to home.
Senate Bill 1092 would blaze a road through the Izembek National Wildlife Refuge, an area teeming with wildlife and waterfowl and, until now, protected from development. Never before has a permanent new road been authorized in a congressionally designated wilderness area. Passing this bill would give politicians the ability to open other wilderness areas to construction.
Senate Bill 660 would give away up to 500,000 acres of public land to the University of Alaska, a state that has already received a land entitlement of 102.5 million acres. Under pressure to quickly generate revenue, the university would be under no mandate to manage its lands for long-term sustainability.
Finally, both these bills would cost nationwide taxpayers dearly in order to fund local projects. Cost estimates for the road through the Izembek refuge range from $25 to $40 million, or close to $1 million per mile. Apparently, Alaskan gravel isn’t cheap.
Bill 660, on the other hand, would put a state university on national welfare, a situation that could run out of control if you consider all of the other struggling universities in our country.
Although Alaska may seem a long way away, we need to remember that the Senate is debating bills that attack our public lands. If these bills pass, it will only be a matter of time before the threat gets closer to home.
