In response to requests from the public, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Serve announced today that it is re-opening the comment period relating to the "Proposed Land Exchange, Yukon Flats National Wildlife Refuge, Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS)." The re-opened 30-day comment period will begin with publication of the announcement in the Federal Register on Friday, April 18 and close on May 19th, 2008.
The entire Draft Environmental Impact Statement, as well as a summary, may be downloaded or viewed at http://YukonFlatseis.ensr.com (note that the link may not be fully updated before April 18th). Copies of the document were mailed to people in the communities affected. They are also available at the Noel Wien Library (Fairbanks) and Anchorages Alaska Resources Library and Information Services (ARLIS), as well as through the telephone contact listed above.
Public comments may be submitted online at the above web address or by mail to: Yukon Flats EIS Project Office, c/o ENSR, 1835 S. Bragaw Street, Suite 490, Anchorage, Alaska 99508-3438.
The proposed action is a land exchange between Yukon Flats National Wildlife Refuge and Doyon, Limited, an Alaska Native Regional Corporation. The exchange would provide Yukon Flats National Wildlife Refuge with a minimum of 150,000 acres of priority habitats currently owned by Doyon. In exchange for these lands, Doyon would receive title to 110,000 acres of Yukon Flats National Wildlife Refuge lands that may hold developable oil and gas resources, as well as an adjacent 97,000 acres of oil/gas interests (the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service would retain surface ownership of the latter). The Draft Environmental Impact Statement analyzes two additional exchange alternatives and a No Action Alternative. Each alternative evaluates the potential environmental and social effects that could result from the proposed land exchange and subsequent oil development.
At the conclusion of the 30-day re-opened comment period, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will analyze all comments received and publish a Final Environmental Impact Statement. After publication of the final document, there will be an additional 30-day public review before the Record of Decision is published in the Federal Register. Additional information is available from the Project Coordinator at (907)786-3463 or on the web at http://YukonFlatseis.ensr.com
