Urge PA Members of Congress to Codify the Roadless Rule in Tongass

From PennEnvironment (http://www.pennenvironment.org):

The largest remaining temperate rainforest is at risk of losing its wild space to roads and logging. The Tongass National Forest, a massive, wild forest in Alaska, is closer than ever to being exempt from the Roadless Area Conservation Rule — unless we stop it.

More than 140,000 people, including PennEnvironment supporters, submitted public comments — and the majority of those were in favor of keeping the Tongass roadless. They all shared the simple belief that the wild places within the Tongass should stay wild.¹ But, the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) is still working on plans to exempt the Tongass from the Roadless Rule.

One clear way to stop this? Making the Roadless Rule the law, so the USFS can’t grant an exemption for the Tongass or any special wild place. Go to https://pennenvironment.webaction.org/p/dia/action4/common/public/?action_KEY=31428 to call on Pennsylvania’s federal legislators to codify the Roadless Rule now to protect the Tongass and other wild places.

The logging industry has been clamoring to gain access to the wild, roadless areas of the Tongass National Forest since they were first granted protection under the Roadless Rule more than 18 years ago.²

And now the logging industry may get its wish. The state of Alaska has asked the administration to exempt the Tongass from the Roadless Rule — and despite thousands of public comments arguing to keep Tongass wild and roadless, the Forest Service is still moving full steam ahead with a possible exemption.³

Much of the Tongass remains largely untamed — but if the logging industry gets its way, it won’t be for long. Take action: Call on your legislators to make the Roadless Rule the law, so places in the Tongass can remain roadless and wild.

The Tongass is one of the few truly wild public lands we have left. These primeval groves make up an entire ecosystem. More than 300 different species of birds, including bald eagles, perch in their branches. Moose, deer and bears stroll between the trunks. Salmon dart through roots along the banks of glacier-fed rivers that cut through the forest.^4,5

It’s our responsibility to protect trees that are older than America itself — some as old as 1,000 years — from logging and road-building. Call on your legislators to take action to keep the Tongass and other special places roadless now.

1. Elizabeth Jenkins, “Of 140,000 comments, most favor keeping the Tongass Forest Roadless Rule,” February 11, 2019.
2. Amanda Reilly, “Greens win big battle in 16-year war over roadless rule,” E&E News, September 22, 2017.
3. Elizabeth Jenkins, “Of 140,000 comments, most favor keeping the Tongass Forest Roadless Rule,” February 11, 2019.
4. “Conservation: Tongass National Forest,” Audubon Alaska, accessed November 15, 2018.
5. “Tongass National Forest: Glaciers,” United States Department of Agriculture, accessed November 15, 2018.