The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced it is taking steps to repeal the 2020 Alaska Roadless Rule and restore protections to more than nine million acres of inventoried roadless areas on the Tongass National Forest. The Alaska Roadless Rule, approved on Oct. 29, 2020, exempted the Tongass from the 2001 Roadless Rule, which prohibited road construction, reconstruction and timber harvest in inventoried roadless areas – with limited exceptions.
A proposed rule repealing the 2020 rule will be published for public comment early next week.
“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. “The proposed rule is considerate of Alaska’s Tribal Nations, community input, and builds on the region’s economic drivers of tourism and fishing.”
A 60-day comment period will begin on Nov. 23, 2021 with the publication of a proposal to repeal the 2020 Alaska Roadless Rule. Comments can be submitted in the following ways:
Comments are encouraged on the proposed rule. Comments, including names and addresses, are placed in the official record and are available for public inspection and copying. The public may inspect comments received at www.regulations.gov.
At 16.7 million acres, the Tongass National Forest is the largest national forest in the country and represents the largest intact tract of coastal temperate rainforest on earth. The forest is within the traditional homelands of the Tlingit, Haida, and Tsimshian peoples, holds more biomass per acre than any other rainforest in the world and stores more carbon than any other national forest.
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