“The United States Forest Service denied native tribes in SE Alaska their requests for the agency to hold face-to-face, government to government consultations and subsistence hearings prior to finalizing the FEIS. One set of actors were left out in the Trump Administration’s rush to remove the Roadless Rule. The Tongass National Forest is such a magical place because of the old-growth timber, and the untouched lands that surround us. Simply put, the Roadless Rule protects the fish and wildlife within the Tongass for future generations. The move doesn’t allow logging at this time in the Alaska forest, which scientists say mitigates climate change by storing more carbon than any other forest in the country, but it brings the administration one step closer to an official approval. We were feted over dinner in Ketchikan by Forest Service brass and timber company executives, who completed each other’s sentences. Last week, the U.S. Forest Service recommended a “full exemption” of the Tongass from the national Roadless Rule, which would undo protections for over 9 million acres of old growth trees. The Tongass — all 17 million acres of it — is home to some of the oldest trees in the nation, some More than 60 Democrats are asking Agriculture Secretary Sonny PerdueGeorge (Sonny) Ervin PerdueOvernight Defense: National Guard says no federal requests for election security help | Dems accuse VA head of misusing resources | Army official links COVID-19 to troop suicides OVERNIGHT ENERGY: Trump creates federal council on global tree planting initiative | Green group pushes for answers on delayed climate report | Carbon dioxide emissions may not surpass 2019 levels until 2027: analysis Trump creates federal government council on global tree planting initiative MORE to reconsider a plan that would open up previously protected parts of the Tongass National Forest to logging. Almost all of million-acre Admiralty Island – expect for two hideous clearcuts on native corporation land – was protected as a national monument. “The one-size-fits-all Roadless Rule is an unnecessary layer of paralyzing regulation that should never have been applied to Alaska,” Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, argued in a Post op-ed piece. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Donate today to support local stream restoration and get a bundle of six free gifts that’ll catch fish, keep your local waters clean, and show off some cool TU swag. Under the law and binding agency guidance, and out of simple respect, USFS has an obligation to conduct such meetings in person. An Agriculture Department spokesperson said in an email to the The Hill that the Forest Service and department “have heard from a wide variety of individuals and groups and understand that opinions and preferences vary regarding how roadless areas within the Tongass National Forest should be managed and conserved.”. “The required 30-day waiting period will provide time for the Secretary to consider the purpose and need, weigh the alternatives, balance objectives, and issue a record of decision on the application of a Final Rule to the Tongass National Forest,” the spokesperson said. In order to keep these areas wild, the streams clean, and the outdoor recreation opportunities high, we all need to speak up for these important public lands in Southeast Alaska. “The Tongass would rightly be managed as America’s climate forest because of the Tongass’ critical capacity for carbon storage and climate change mitigation. James Cook sailed by in 1778, many of trees standing today were there to witness the tall ships cruise by. The Trump Administration is substituting the “Chainsaw Rule” for the Roadless Rule in managing the vast Tongass National Forest. Do we choose coffee, salmon, chowder or berry pies? Post Alley is a collective of journalists in the Seattle area. The wildlife thrives in the high canopy of the Tongass’ trees, creating ideal living habitat to birth and raise the next generation. It belongs to every single American. Some years back, when the pulp mills were going full blast, I joined a journalists’ tour of Southeast Alaska. . With Washington Sen. Maria Cantwell in the lead, 60 Democrats in Congress have decried the policy, on the grounds of the economy – Southeast Alaska’s salmon and tourism/recreation economies – but with emphasis on climate. But the Tongass belongs to all of us, including those who go sport salmon fishing out of Sitka, cruise to the calving tongues of tidewater glaciers (except in 2020) and take commercial fishing boats up the Inside Passage. With the seminal 1980 Alaska Lands Act, and subsequent legislation, Congress did protect “crown jewels” of Southeast Alaska. Privacy policy — Terms & conditions — Call us toll free: 1-800-834-2419, My Health Stream: Landowner Partner Materials. They had only made a tiny imprint on it. The largest national forest in the United States, at 16 million acres, it takes up most of Southeast Alaska. Along with our hosts, I cannot see taxpayers paying for roads, getting back the price of a Big Mac, and messing up a place that where the forest sequesters carbon, the stream sustains salmon, and the … the notion that these are places that we decided were too beautiful and too important to be plundered, and that all people, regardless of their standing in life, could enjoy.”. It laid out and paid for logging roads, getting back about 4 cents on the dollar. The government was selling 800-year-old trees, in a memorable observation by Tim Egan in The New York Times, “for the price of a Big Mac.”, The pulp mills are long closed, but taxpayers have continued to subsidize what’s left of the Southeast Alaska forest industry. The reality is that the Tongass National Forest belongs to all of us, including Native Americans who were here before us. Alaska politicians have long argued, witness Gov. One of my favorite parts about the area is that I can wake up, and within 10 minutes in any direction be fishing, hunting, hiking, biking, camping … you name it. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. It sustains Alaska’s economy, provides recreational opportunities, feeds the world and slows climate change. When Capt. The forest continues to function as it should, because it remains intact and largely untouched. The Forest Service issued a final environmental impact statement (FEIS) last month laying out its intention to open up more than 9 million Tongass acres to the timber industry. Gov. Mike Dunleavy in a Seattle Times op-ed, that they should have sway over lands in the 49th State. The Tongass National Forest (/ ˈ t ɒ ŋ ɡ ə s /) in Southeast Alaska is the largest national forest in the United States at 16.7 million acres (68,000 km 2).Most of its area is part of the temperate rain forest WWF ecoregion, itself part of the larger Pacific temperate rain forest WWF ecoregion, and is remote enough to be home to many species of endangered and rare flora and fauna. My home bursts with diverse attractions and incredible recreation opportunities no matter my thrill of choice at any given time. It would provide for negotiations with the Forest Service over such issues as salmon streams and old growth stands needed for canoes. Giant pulp mills were built in Sitka and Ketchikan. The Hill 1625 K Street, NW Suite 900 Washington DC 20006 | 202-628-8500 tel | 202-628-8503 fax. Then, maybe you’ll be next the lucky soul trying to get that chromer to grab or that Dolly to hit streamer. In practical terms, given who these politicians work for, that usually means Big Oil, the mining industry and timber companies calling the shots. If we're serious about singling out Seattle's iconic dish, how about Dutch Babies? Notify me of follow-up comments by email. The Tongass — all 17 million acres of it — is home to some of the oldest trees in the nation, some over 800 years old, and provides essential habitat for fish, wildlife and recreation of all kinds. The streams act as the lungs of the forest, breathing in fresh nutrients through the salmon spawning season. In fact, in every year since 1970, the majority of Supreme Court justices have been Republican appointees. While Murkowski is credible, the stewardship promise is not. In the words of the letter to Perdue from Cantwell et all: “Even before the pandemic, in part due to the administration’s disastrous trade policies, the Tongass was selling virtually no timber and the Forest Service was subsidizing the remaining Tongass timber industry at the rate of $30 million a year.”. Repealing the Roadless Rule would open these wild areas of the forest to industrial-scale clear-cut logging, and those sentry trees would be put in dire peril. The letter warns of clear cut conflicts with the healthy fishing and tourism components of Southeast Alaska’s economy. If you’re an angler, throughout the year you can search out the elusive steelhead in small creeks, swing flies for all five species of wild Pacific salmon, catch sea-run cutthroat, Dolly Varden and rainbow trout. In 2018, the state of Alaska asked the federal government to open up the area to logging, arguing that it would help support the economy. Our hosts brushed aside reservations. What’s more, the Tongass is public land. Since the beginning of Chief Justice Warren Burger’s court until the death of Justice Ruth B. Ginsberg, there have been 31 Republican appointed-justices and 8 Democratic appointed-justices sitting on the Supreme Court.The Supreme, October Surprise? There is a reason that Southeast Alaska is on so many bucket lists; the landscape calls to them. The forest was growing back in such thickets that it was impossible to see how any wildlife could move or feed. The protection of these lands for their conservation value also supports healthy populations of salmon and other wildlife essential to the people of the region,” the legislators wrote. Culverts showed damage from periods of heavy rain. And, frankly, it’s yours to protect. © 2020 Trout Unlimited. Most days, I feel like my upbringing here was like winning the lottery. Opening up the 9.37-million-acre area would be done by providing an exemption to the 2001 "roadless rule," which prevents road construction as well as timber harvesting in the National Forest System in areas without existing roads. But a great many low-elevation ancient forests, where salmon spawn and grizzly bears feed, were left out. With the Trump Administration, the back channel meeting determines public policy. Dunleavy put the case for withdrawing the Roadless Rule. USDA Forest Service national headquarters website; the home page and gateway to all Forest Service websites.
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