John,

A great horned owl weighs down the branch of an 800-year-old Sitka Spruce tree. A Steller's jay ruffles its iridescent navy feathers before taking wing among the treetops. A mama bear takes her grizzly cubs to the bay to catch a fish dinner.

Welcome to the Tongass.

It's the world's largest intact rainforest -- but it won't be for long if the logging companies get their way.1

Join us in defending the Tongass National Forest. Donate to our Year-End Drive today.

Encompassing sweeping fjords, snow-capped mountains and lush islands, the Tongass is the crown jewel of the national forest system. It supports a vast array of wildlife -- including flying squirrels, sandhill cranes and the elusive Alexander Archipelago gray wolf.2,3

The timber industry is targeting the same mature and old-growth trees that shelter nesting songbirds and store over 9.9 billion tons of carbon.4

The Forest Service has already approved a logging project that will cut down 430 acres of old-growth trees.

And it's not the only old-growth forests on the chopping block. Logging projects across the country are pending right now.5

The Tongass is irreplaceable and you can help save it. We've set a goal of raising $200,000 by midnight on Dec. 31 to defend our wildlife and special places. Donate today.

Our advocacy for the Tongass spans decades.

Alongside environmental groups across the country, our national network helped secure the Roadless Rule in 2001, which safeguarded 58.5 million acres of American forests from road construction and timber harvesting.6

But our work is far from over. Much of the Tongass remains open for logging and we need your help to protect this precious forest.

If we can reach our goal of $200,000, we'll have more resources to bring together forest-lovers, engage the public, and remind our politicians to protect these natural treasures. Donate today.

Thank you,

Ellen Montgomery

1. "Biden-Harris Administration Finalizes Protections for Tongass National Forest," U.S. Department of Agriculture, January 25, 2023.
2. Ellen Montgomery, "Threatened Forests," Environment America, May 19, 2023.
3. Katrina Liebich, "Rainforest Wolves of Alaska's Alexander Archipelago," U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, last accessed November 12, 2024.
4. Juliet Eilperin, "This tree has stood here for 500 years. Will it be sold for $17,500?," The Washington Post, December 30, 2021.
5. Ellen Montgomery, "Threatened Forests," Environment America, May 19, 2023.
6. Ellen Montgomery, "What is the roadless rule and what does it mean for the Tongass?," Environment America Research & Policy Center, January 25, 2024.

Your donation will be used to support all of our campaigns to protect the environment, from saving the bees and protecting public lands, to standing up for clean water and fighting climate change. None of our work would be possible without supporters like you. Environment Colorado may transfer up to $50 per dues-paying member per year into the Environment Colorado Small Donor Committee.