Protect the Tongass

The Tongass National Forest is the Traditional territory of the Tlingit, Haida and, Tsimshian peoples. They have lived there since time immemorial. The Tongass is the largest forest in the National Forest system and is the largest mostly intact temperate rainforest on the planet. In 2001 to with much support from the public the National Roadless Rule went into effect, stopping roadbuilding and development in inventoried roadless areas. This put much if the Tongass off limits to roadbuilding, and protected some of the last stands of old growth forest that survived the logging boom at the end of the 20th century.

At least 11 Tribes, to date -10/29/20- (Organized Village of Kasaan, the Organized Village of Kake, Klawock Cooperative Association, Hoonah Indian Association, Ketchikan Indian Community, Skagway Traditional Council, Organized Village of Saxman, Craig Tribal Association, Wrangell Cooperative Association, Yakutat Tlingit Tribe, and Central Council Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska), have spoken up asking for a new rule making process that honors their Sovereignty.

90% of Comments in favor of maintaining roadless protections

On October 29th 2020 the Trump administration published documents to the National Register notifying the public of their intent to open the whole of the Tongass National Forest to development by selecting the Full Exemption Option from the Final Environmental Impact Statement.

This rule goes into affect immediately. This means that as of this moment the “Tongass is open for business” as our Governor might say.

The Tongass is 1.9 million acres of