Forest Service Releases Plan for Roadless Rule Restoration in Tongass National Forest

Support remains strong for protecting old-growth trees in Southeast Alaska

Contacts

Becca Bowe, Earthjustice, rbowe@earthjustice.org, (415) 217-2093

The U.S. Forest Service has announced a proposal to restore Roadless Rule protections in Alaska’s Tongass National Forest. This rulemaking will reverse a rollback initiated under the Trump administration that was designed to auction off some of the oldest and largest trees in the Southeast Alaska rainforest to the timber industry. The Forest Service will begin accepting public comment on November 23.

While the announcement carries promise for the future of the Tongass, the proposal to restore the Roadless Rule is not yet finalized, so defenders of the national forest will rally supporters yet again to make sure the Biden administration makes good on its commitment. This proposed sweeping protection for lands and waters of the Tongass would be a meaningful step toward addressing the climate crisis.

“We see this crucial protection for the Tongass as a moral imperative,” said Blaine Miller-McFeeley, senior legislative representative on Earthjustice’s Policy and Legislation Team. “The Tongass is one of the most important forests in the world for carbon sequestration, and the lifeblood for many Alaska Native communities. We are extremely thankful to see the Biden Forest Service taking this step, and we look forward to finally seeing Trump’s attempted attack on this forest tossed into the recycling bin of history.”

Additional Resources

About Earthjustice

Earthjustice is the premier nonprofit environmental law organization. We wield the power of law and the strength of partnership to protect people's health, to preserve magnificent places and wildlife, to advance clean energy, and to combat climate change. We are here because the earth needs a good lawyer.