Submit Public Comment to Reinstate Roadless Rule for Tongass National Forest—deadline January 24

From the Alaska Wilderness League (http://www.alaskawild.org):

Without the Roadless Rule, unsustainable old-growth logging will increasingly threaten the Tongass National Forest at a time when our wild landscapes are more important than ever.

The crown jewel of our national forest system, the Tongass’ towering 800-year-old spruce, cedar and hemlock trees help create vital habitats for brown bears, black bears, Sitka blacktail deer, mountain goats, wolves, and five species of Pacific salmon.

The Roadless Rule protects the Tongass from disruptive roads and habitat fragmentation that threaten all who rely on a healthy forest to survive. Submit your comment to push Roadless Rule protections through at https://secure.alaskawild.org/a/roadlesstongass.

The Tongass not only supports thriving wildlife populations, but directly contributes to 26% of the sustainable jobs in the region through the fishing and visitor industries.

Furthermore, the Tongass is the homeland of the Tlingit, Haida, Tsimshian and Eyak peoples who have relied on the forest for their cultural and subsistence traditions for thousands of years.

On top of all its other values, the Tongass National Forest acts as a crucial carbon storage tool, sequestering emissions equivalent to taking more than 2 million cars off the road each year. As the climate crisis grows more dire every day, now is the time to protect — not destroy — our wildest places in Alaska.

Submit a public comment and urge that Roadless Rule protections are restored to protect the Tongass for all that rely on it now, and for generations to come.