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| Dear Friend, |
| The “lungs of our country” can breathe a little easier now. |
| A federal policy called the Roadless Rule prevents clearcutting in wildlands across the U.S., including the Tongass National Forest in Alaska. In 2020, the Trump administration exempted the Tongass from the Roadless Rule’s protection and opened areas to clearcut logging, including centuries-old stands of old-growth trees. Last week, the Biden administration announced it would not only restore those protections but would go further and end all large-scale logging of old-growth trees anywhere on the Tongass. |
| Today’s victory would have been impossible without relentless advocacy from Alaska Native Tribes, Southeast Alaska small businesses, conservation organizations, and people like you. Because of these partnerships, one of North America’s largest carbon sinks will be protected from destruction. |
| This is far from the end of the road. First, we have to stay active and support the adoption of a final rule soon to be proposed reinstating Tongass roadless area protection. And we need to encourage the administration to make its commitment to end old-growth logging durable over time. As we’ve seen, critical protections can be undone by leaders that place profit ahead of a livable climate, so we’ll need to be ready to fight if the Tongass is threatened again. But for now, we can celebrate the partnerships and dedicated activism that resulted in this historic announcement about new protection for one of our country’s most important forests and thank the leaders who listened. |
| Please join us in thanking the Biden administration and urging quick action to follow through on this historic announcement and restore and expand the Tongass’ protections. |
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Sincerely,
Eric Jorgensen
Managing Attorney |
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