The Trump administration is advancing a plan to exempt Alaska's Tongass National Forest from the 'roadless rule,' which has protected over half of the 16.7 million-acre temperate rainforest from logging and development for two decades. The US Forest Service is expected to release a final environmental impact statement on Friday, moving closer to ending these protections.
Supporters, including Alaska's Republican lawmakers, argue the exemption would boost timber harvests and mineral and energy projects. Senator Lisa Murkowski has called the roadless rule 'an unnecessary layer of paralyzing regulation.' However, critics warn of severe consequences for Indigenous communities, wildlife, and the climate.
Environmental groups, tribal nations, and fishermen have voiced strong opposition. Andy Moderow of the Alaska Wilderness League stated, 'This is bad for people, bad for a sustainable economy and bad for wildlife.' The Tongass absorbs about 8% of US carbon dioxide emissions, making its preservation critical in fighting climate change.
Dominick DellaSala of the Geos Institute dismissed the Forest Service's environmental review as 'junk science,' noting it downplays carbon released by logging. Randi Spivak of the Center for Biological Diversity accused the plan of pouring 'gasoline on the inferno of climate change.' A final decision is expected at least 30 days after the review's release.
