Having spent much of the last 37 years commercial fishing in and out of cold bay, false pass, and king cove, I have to wonder who in the world cares about whether or not there is a road from town to town out there - and who will actually spend the money to make it happen.  It makes very little sense to be against the road - just as it makes very little sense for the country to pay for a road from the Cove to Cold Bay.  
All the worry about a development precedent in a national refuge?? - trade for other land if that's the big issue. 
The money spent for the hovercraft  and the harbor and all the other projects in the Cove are enough. 
The big deal for the folks out west is really simple - why should a bunch of folks out of Seattle, Chicago, and Baltimore - be allowed to dictate to Alaskan indigenous people about the kind of roads allowed in their area.
We are flying to Mars these days - what's wrong with connecting two alaskan towns by a road?? Some cosmic gal losing sleep in seattle?