USDA Launches Attack on Protections for Alaska’s National Forests

Juneau, AK -- Today, the Trump administration announced a plan to work with the state of Alaska on a special rule that would undermine protections for millions of acres of pristine, old-growth forest in the Tongass and Chugach National Forests. USDA intends to create a state-specific version of the Roadless Rule, which currently safeguards 58.5 million acres of pristine National Forest System lands across 39 states from destructive logging and road building. The announcement comes in response to a petition from the state for a complete exemption from the Roadless Rule.

The Tongass and Chugach National Forests are home to some of the last remaining stands of temperate old-growth rainforest in the world and serve as a hub for tourism, fishing, and outdoor recreation in Southeast Alaska.

This week, Sen. Maria Cantwell introduced the Roadless Area Conservation Act of 2018, which would permanently codify the Roadless Rule.

In response, Sierra Club Federal Policy Associate Jordan Giaconia released the following statement:

“The Roadless Rule is a critical conservation tool that protects some of America’s most valuable and ecologically sensitive wildlands. This effort to undermine environmental safeguards for Alaska’s national forests threatens these extraordinary places and opens the door to even broader attacks on public lands nationwide. Congress should act immediately to codify the Roadless Rule and permanently protect our country’s roadless forests and grasslands.”