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The Trump administration announced plans to open all 16.7 million acres of Alaska’s Tongass National Forest to logging, removing protections to conserve America’s largest intact temperate rainforest. The change immediately opens 9.3 million acres of old growth forest by reversing the 2001 “roadless rule” that had ensured the forest’s future.
Ironically, the Trump administration has been touting its recently proposed One Trillion Trees initiative, but removing protections for the Tongass National Forest severely undermines that effort, not to mention that studies find poorly planned large-scale tree planting initiatives can backfire, reducing biodiversity but not emissions.
The Tongass is one of America’s strongest defenses against climate change, absorbing at least 8 percent of the carbon stored in the lower 48 states combined. Dominick DellaSala, chief scientist with the Earth Island Institute’s Wild Heritage project, said of the Tongass, “While tropical rainforests are the lungs of the planet, the Tongass is the lungs of North America. It’s America’s last climate sanctuary.”
Proponents say the decision will help the struggling economy in the Southeastern region of Alaska. However, logging in Alaska costs taxpayers millions each year because of a federal mandate that companies must profit from any timber sale. In practice, this often requires the U.S. Forest Service to cover harvesters’ costs, including road construction. According to a Taxpayer for Common Sense analysis, the Tongass timber program has lost roughly $1.7 billion over the last 40 years.
Interactive storymap: urban conservation efforts
Cities can address current environmental issues and injustices while also actively supporting biodiversity, climate mitigation, public health, and equitable access to nature. Urban parks and green spaces are an effective way to accomplish these disparate but connected goals, and ensure the 30x30 goal is beneficial for all Americans. Explore the Center for Western Priorities' new interactive storymap to learn more.
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Taking an axe to old-growth protections for the Tongass is among the most reckless and irresponsible of the Trump administration's environmental rollbacks. It's bad news for hunters and anglers, for the tourism and fishing industries in Alaska, and for anyone who cares about protecting our planet's biodiversity and climate."
