"Local government officials and residents in and around King Cove, Alaska, said their long-awaited face-to-face meeting with Interior Secretary Deb Haaland this week went well and that they feel Haaland now understands why they want a road through the Izembek National Wildlife Refuge.
Haaland had pledged during her Senate confirmation hearings last year that she would visit the community to discuss their request for a gravel road through the refuge connecting King Cove with an all-weather airport in Cold Bay where those suffering medical emergencies can be transported to hospitals.
Currently, residents must either ride a small airplane or take a boat across a choppy bay to reach Cold Bay during the winter months. Weather conditions often prohibit both of those options, and Coast Guard helicopters are called in to transport patients in emergencies."
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