Protections to over nine million acres of inventoried roadless regions in the Tongass National Forest of Alaska will be reestablished, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).
Approved on Oct. 29, 2020, The Alaska Roadless Rule made the Tongass exempt from the 2001 Roadless Rule, which bans road construction and timber harvest in inventoried areas, a USDA press release said. The USDA decided to repeal the 2020 rule to restore protections granted by the previous law.
“Restoring the Tongass’ roadless protections supports the advancement of economic, ecologic and cultural sustainability in Southeast Alaska in a manner that is guided by local voices,” said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack in the release. “The proposed rule is considerate of Alaska’s Tribal Nations, community input, and builds on the region’s economic drivers of tourism and fishing.”
Over 95% of commenters were against exempting the Tongass from the 2001 Roadless Rule during the public comment periods before the establishment of the 2020 Alaska Roadless Rule, the USDA said.
“USDA determined that the underlying goals and purposes of the 2001 Roadless Rule continue to be a critical part of conserving the resources of the Tongass, especially when it comes to the values that roadless areas represent for local communities, Alaska Natives and the economy of Southeast Alaska,” the release said. “The decision to repeal the 2020 Alaska Roadless Rule is based on the multiple ecologic, social, cultural and economic values supported by roadless areas on the Tongass.”
A 60-day comment period began on Nov. 23 alongside the publication of the proposal. Comments can be submitted electronically or through physical mail, and are made available to the public at www.regulations.gov, the release said.
The Tongass National Forest, homeland of the Tlingit, Haida and Tsimshian peoples, is the largest national forest in America at 16.7 million acres and signifies the biggest complete tract of coastal temperate rainforest in the world, the USDA said. It stores more carbon than any other national forest and holds more biomass per acre than any other rainforest on earth.
