The United States Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) announces availability of the Final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Yukon Flats National Wildlife Refuge (Refuge) Proposed Land Exchange. The Final EIS describes four alternatives, including the proposed action, two other action alternatives, and a no action alternative. The no action alternative, no land exchange, is the Service’s preferred alternative. The final EIS presents an evaluation of the environmental consequences of each alternative. The Final EIS includes changes to the Draft EIS (2008) analysis based on the comments received through public review, responses to individual comments, and additional information and analysis identified at the beginning of each chapter.
The proposed land exchange involved 110,000 acres of Refuge lands that may hold developable oil and gas reserves, and oil and gas rights to an adjacent 97,000 acres of Refuge lands. Under the proposed action, the Refuge would have received a minimum of 150,000 acres of Doyon lands within Refuge boundaries, and Doyon would have reallocated 56,500 acres of Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act land entitlements within the Refuge to lands outside the Refuge.
The Service released a Draft EIS for public review in January 2008, and received more than 100,000 comments. The vast majority of comments, including those from several area tribal governments, opposed the proposed exchange. Many comments in opposition to the proposed land exchange focused on conservation concerns. Some felt that, geographically, the effect of the exchange would result in habitat fragmentation, as the refuge would be split into two parcels; and could degrade the biological integrity, diversity, and environmental health of the Refuge. Comments also cited access and impacts to Refuge resources as significant issues. There were concerns, as well, that oil and gas development could reduce the quantity and quality of subsistence resources, which would negatively impact traditional lifes. Some segments of the public also expressed a fundamental opposition to any divestiture of Native lands. Critics also felt that the exchange, which could potentially facilitate oil and gas development in the Yukon Flats basin, was particularly problematic considering future climate change climate change
Climate change includes both global warming driven by human-induced emissions of greenhouse gases and the resulting large-scale shifts in weather patterns. Though there have been previous periods of climatic change, since the mid-20th century humans have had an unprecedented impact on Earth's climate system and caused change on a global scale.
Learn more about climate change impacts on Refuge lands.
In addition, reinterpretation of historic seismic and geologic data by the U.S. Geological Survey, combined with recently gathered geophysical information, suggests that oil and gas resources may not be located as originally believed, and thus has cast some doubts on the benefits of the exchange to all involved.
“I commend all of the groups and individuals who’ve contributed to this process to date,” said the Service’s Alaska Regional Director Geoffrey L. Haskett, “including Service and Doyon representatives and the many stakeholders who participated in the public comment process. The proposed land exchange was both complex and multifaceted, and it is only right that the process leading to our final decision has been rigorous.”
Written comments on the Final EIS must be received on or before April 12, 2010. Comments should be specific, addressing the merits of the alternatives and adequacy of the environmental analysis. Upon evaluation of comments received, a Record of Decision will be issued which will document the Service’s decision and present the
Comments submitted by mail or electronic mail should be directed to:
Laura Greffenius
EIS Project Coordinator
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
1011 East Tudor Road, MS-231
Anchorage, AK 99503
Before including your address, phone number, e-mail address, or other personal identifying information in your comment, you should be aware that your entire comment—including your personal identifying information—may be made publicly available at any time. While you can ask in your comment to withhold your personal identifying information from public review, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to do so.
Copies of the printed two-volume Final EIS or Summary, or the full document on CD-ROM, are available by request at the address above. You may also view the Final EIS online at
