Help Protect the Tongass National Forest
Tongass National Forest; photo credit: Kenneth J. Gill
The Old-Growth Forest Network is planning to expand to Alaska this year with three dedications planned for the Tongass National Forest Region. This is an especially important time to recognize how crucial the Tongass National Forest is for our generation and future generations because logging protections of 9 million acres of this forest through the Roadless Rule came under threat in 2020. Now is the time for the public to show support for reinstating these protections.
What is the Tongass National Forest?
The Tongass National Forest in Southeastern Alaska is the world’s largest temperate rainforest and the country’s largest national forest at 17 million acres. The forest is named for the Tlingit Tongass Clan and is inextricably linked with Southeastern Alaskan tribes’ food, culture, and livelihoods.
How is it impacted by logging?
This forest isn’t just essential to the life of Southeastern Alaska- it is the “lungs of North America” according to Dominick DellaSala, chief scientist with Wild Heritage. The Tongass National Forest sequesters and stores an incredible amount of carbon in the trees, soil, roots, and understory plants. When a tree is logged, ⅔ of this carbon escapes to the atmosphere while ⅓ remains stored in the harvested logs, which still have to be shipped to mills and beyond, adding even more carbon to the atmosphere.
While old-growth areas of the Tongass have been carved away by clearcutting over the past 70 years, thankfully those practices are declining as we embrace that trees can be more valuable left standing and instead focus timber operations on second and third-growth forests. Recently, the native corporation Sealaska has swapped logging income from their forestland for carbon credits. Tourism and recreation, often directly tied to an intact, healthy forest, now provide more than 18 times the jobs that the timber industry does in this region. However, federal policy needs to reflect these changes as well, and the time has come for you to have a direct voice in those decisions.
The Roadless Rule: Protecting the wildest forest
In 2001, the Roadless Rule was established, which protected any National Forest area currently inventoried without roads from future road construction and logging access. Despite this rule remaining highly popular, the Tongass National Forest was granted an exemption from it in 2020, leaving more than 9 million acres once again vulnerable to logging. Thankfully this exemption is being reconsidered by the new federal administration, with a 60-day public comment period open until January 24th, 2022. Just one week remains for you to share your thoughts on how this forest deserves to be left standing and support restored protections from the Roadless Rule.
How can I help?
The Southeastern Alaska Conservation Council has developed a helpful comment portal to streamline the process of submitting a public comment about reinstating the Roadless Rule. Draw from their templates or customize your own comment and submit it to the Forest Service to make your voice heard about your concern and care for the Tongass National Forest.
A chance to view Understory
The Land Stands, an expedition group who explore the impacts of clear cuts on the forests and people of Southeastern Alaska, together with filmmakers Wild Confluence Media, have made their 2020 short film Understory available for all to watch online.
Take a step into the clear cuts present across Prince of Wales Island with the women-led Last Stands Expedition Team, Elsa Sebastian, Dr. Natalie Dawson, and illustrator Mara Menahan, as they look into the roadless areas to see what the impacts of logging would have on this important ecosystem and the surrounding communities
