Updated Jul 15, 2021 - Politics & Policy

Biden administration announces protections for Alaska’s Tongass National Forest

Erin Doherty

A forest scene at Takatz Bay on Baranof Island, Tongass National Forest, Alaska, USA. — Takatz Bay on Baranof Island, Tongass National Forest. Photo: Wolfgang Kaehler/LightRocket via Getty Images

The U.S. Forest Service announced sweeping protections for Alaska's Tongass National Forest on Thursday, including a proposal to bar road development on more than 9 million acres.

Why it matters: The Tongass is one of the world’s last relatively intact temperate rainforests, and it is the only national forest where old-growth logging takes place on an industrial scale, according to the Washington Post.

The big picture: The proposal includes $25 million for community development and would allow Alaska Natives and small-scale operators to harvest old-growth trees.

The protections reverse a Trump-era rule that allowed logging and other forms of development to take place in the Tongass National Forest.
Alaska’s statewide elected leaders, including Republicans Gov. Mike Dunleavy and Republican Sens. Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan, oppose restrictions on logging and industrial development in the forest.

What they're saying: "This approach will help us chart the path to long-term economic opportunities that are sustainable and reflect southeast Alaska’s rich cultural heritage and magnificent natural resources," Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said in a statement.

Editor's note: This story has been updated with Vilsack's statement.

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Biden administration announces protections for Alaska’s Tongass National Forest

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