Southeast Alaska is at a unique crossroads in its management of the Tongass National Forest. Every single exception that has been … You’ve probably heard the saying about opinions being like that piece of anatomy everyone has and always stinks. Found inside – Page 44In the past few years , the Forest Service has received literally millions of public comments supporting protections for Alaskan roadless areas , through inclusion of the Tongass ( and Chugach ) in the Roadless Area Conservation Rule ... Throughout our work on the Alaska Roadless Rule, the USDA Forest Service will uphold our mission to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of the nation's forests and grasslands to meet the needs of present and future generations. “For far too long, our fish and wildlife were taken for granted on the Tongass,” Williams added. “It’s a breath of fresh air to see investments made to ensure they are around for future generations.”, Read Next: Logging in Alaska: The Complex Battle Waged Over Tongass National Forest. WASHINGTON, Oct. 28, 2020 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) today announced a final Alaska Roadless Rule that exempts the Tongass National Forest from the 2001 provision that prohibited road construction, road reconstruction and timber harvests. Join the list to receive special offers, updates, and everything Free Range American. The administration announces it will settle a lawsuit brought by the State of Alaska by agreeing to exempt the Tongass National Forest—and later the Chugach National Forest—from the Roadless Rule. After the state petitioned to exempt 9.2 million acres of the 17-million-acre Tongass from the rule in 2018, the Forest Service began an extensive environmental review process to guide creation of a new, state-specific roadless rule. Mountain Goat Backstrap Over an Open Fire, A Trial by Fire in the Antarctic Ice Marathon, GEAR TEST: The Ultimate Bino Harness Shootout, Get Bit: My First Time Hillbilly Hand-Fishing for Alabama Lake MonstersÂ. Republicans and Democrats have fought over the Tongass for 20 years. Found inside – Page 13In December 2003 , the Forest Service exempted the Tongass National Forest from the roadless rule . Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act ( ANILCA ) An ANILCA Section 810 subsistence evaluation was conducted . The official notice is scheduled for publication in the Federal Register on Oct. 29, 2020. The national forest had been protected from logging, mining and other development since 2001 by a policy known as the roadless rule, which prevented … A lock ( LockA locked padlock ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. It prohibits road construction in 58.5 million acres of the National Forest System, including the 17-million-acre Tongass, essentially halting the logging of old-growth timber and mining in the region. He hails from the Finger Lakes region of western New York. If he’s not in the woods, on the water, or busy with some sort of renovation project, he’s likely elbows-deep in restoring his ’67 Bronco. The USDA Forest Service plans to finalize an Alaska roadless rule by June 2020. Found inside – Page 3The rule prohibits logging and road building on nearly 60 million acres of lands , 9.3 million acres of which are within the Tongass National Forest . Currently the Roadless Area Conservation Rule ( Roadless Rule , January 12 ... Currently, 9.2 million acres -- around 55% -- of the Tongass National Forest are designated and managed as inventoried roadless areas, which has limited economic opportunities in some areas. An Army veteran and lifelong outdoorsman, Matt suffers from an inability to sit still. In 2001, the USDA adopted the Roadless Area Conservation Rule (2001 Roadless Rule). Through story and images, author Amy Gulick shows us that people from wildly different backgrounds all value a salmon way of life. In researching her new book, Amy spent time with individuals whose lives are inextricably linked with salmon. In developing a rulemaking to establish an Alaska roadless rule, USDA is responding to the State of Alaska’s petition (January 2018) requesting an exemption of the Tongass National Forest from the 2001 Roadless Rule. Found inside – Page 3-213This 2005 Roadless Rule establishes a petitioning process that provides Governors an opportunity to seek establishment of or adjustment to management requirements for National Forest System inventoried roadless areas within their States ... Found inside – Page 2Under NFMA , the Forest Service was directed to " limit the sale of timber from each national forest to a ... The Roadless Area Conservation Final Rule ( Roadless Rule ) was signed by the Secretary of Agriculture in January 2001. In January 2018, the State of Alaska petitioned the USDA to consider exempting the Tongass National Forest from the 2001 Roadless Rule. Under the 2001 Roadless Rule, 9.2 million acres – around 55% – of the Tongass National Forest are designated and managed as inventoried roadless areas, which has limited economic opportunities in some areas. JENKINS: The U.S. Forest Service doesn't allow roads to be built or trees to be cut in this area. The Forest Service is proposing new regulations to protect certain roadless areas within the National Forest Service. This is the draft environmental impact statement for those areas. In King of Fish , Montgomery traces the human impacts on salmon over the last thousand years and examines the implications both for salmon recovery efforts and for the more general problem of human impacts on the natural world. A state-specific roadless rule would determine which currently designated roadless areas in the Tongass National Forest would require a different management designation to further Alaska’s economic development or other needs, while still conserving roadless areas for generations to come. Instead, the proposed rule would return Kootznoowoo Wilderness in Tongass National Forest, Alaska Don MacDougall/USFS/Flickr That splendor wouldn't exist today if not for the Roadless Rule, which NRDC fought valiantly to enact and defend. The Tongass National Forest is the nation’s largest forest and the Roadless Rule has been a point of contention between various stakeholders in the region. Guest Opinion: Retain the Tongass National Forest Roadless Rule. The Tongass National Park had been left unprotected after a Trump-era decision repealed the Roadless Rule, which let logging and mining begin in the forest. The roadless rulemaking process aims to develop a state-specific rule for managing inventoried roadless areas in the Tongass National Forest, substituting the nationwide 2001 Roadless Rule for one that addresses unique considerations for forest management and community needs in Southeast Alaska. An official website of the United States government. A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States. The Biden administration appears poised to reinstate a rule dating back to the Clinton White House that restricts new roads in the Tongass National Forest in Southeast Alaska. Democratic lawmakers in Congress have begun trying to reinstate the Roadless Rule for Alaska’s Tongass National Forest. Part of this evaluation was conducted in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act, which requires federal agencies to analyze significant environmental impacts of any proposed actions through a thorough and public process. While President Theodore Roosevelt was in office, he watched as bison, elk, and brown bears vanished from the lower 48. The Forest Service published the Final Environmental Impact Statement in September following extensive public involvement and a thorough analysis of six alternatives that ranged from no action to the full exemption. The USDA Forest Service plans to finalize an Alaska roadless rule by June 2020. In 2018, the Forest Service announced it would develop a state-specific Roadless Rule focused on the Tongass National Forest. Found inside – Page 8Accordingly , the Tongass National Forest is exempt from the Roadless Rule's prohibitions against timber harvest , road construction , and reconstruction in inventoried roadless areas . Such activities may occur on the Tongass where ... During its analysis, the Forest Service focused on three key issues: conservation of roadless area characteristics, support for local and regional socioeconomic well-being, and conservation of habitat and biological diversity. Found inside – Page 6The land base associated with the ASQ includes roadless areas , many of which are highly valued by substantial ... Rule prohibited most timber harvest and road construction in inventoried roadless areas on National Forest System lands . A global investigation into the surprising ways in which people and cultures relate to and engage with sharks includes coverage of Papua New Guinea's creation myths, the finning practices of mainland China and the counsel of a Miami shark ... Since 2001, the Roadless Rule has protected wild, undeveloped forests. Roadless Rule advocates’ assumption the Forest Service, which is an agency of USDA, would move to lift the rule entirely proved correct. It prohibits road construction in 58.5 million acres of the National Forest System, including the 17-million-acre Tongass, essentially halting the logging of old-growth timber and mining in the region.Â, In a recent statement, Austin Williams, Trout Unlimited’s Alaska director of law and policy, identified natural resources other than trees and minerals as a far better focus for the future of Southeast Alaska.Â. Found insideA testament to the places that shape us and the places that change us, The Alaskan Laundry tells one woman’s unforgettable journey in waters as far and icy as the Bering Sea, back to the possibility of love. To view Inventoried Roadless Areas by State, select a … Found inside – Page 3-84Roadless This analysis evaluates the effects to North Revilla Roadless Area # 526 ( Forest Plan 2003 SEIS ) and other ... Rule prohibited most timber harvest and road construction in inventoried roadless areas on National Forest System ... The Record of Decision identifies the selected alternative, provides the rationale for the decision, and explains that the exemption does not authorize any specific projects in Alaska. President George W. … Secure .gov websites use HTTPS Bears hunt for salmon in Alaska's Tongass National Forest. Found inside – Page 5This rule generally establishes prohibitions on road construction , road reconstruction , and timber harvest in Inventoried Roadless Areas on National Forest System lands . In 2001 , the Secretary of Agriculture began a review of the ... Copyright © 2021 Free Range American. “The real value of the Tongass is in its abundant fish and wildlife, its cultural resources, and in its beautiful scenery and wild landscapes,” said Williams. The final rule will be effective upon publication in the Federal Register, but does not directly authorize any ground-disturbing activities. The USDA Forest Service has announced it will develop a state-specific roadless rule focused on the Tongass National Forest. Found inside – Page 5The January 2001 Roadless Area Conservation Rule prohibited most timber harvest and road construction in inventoried roadless areas on National Forest System lands . In July 2003 , the US District Court for the District of Wyoming set ... The Tongass covers about 80 percent of Southeast Alaska and plays a critical role in supporting local and regional economies, promoting economic diversification, and enhancing rural community well-being. Logging in Alaska: The Complex Battle Waged Over Tongass National Forest, Alaska Woman Shoots Record Caribou on Solo Hunt 4 Months After Bear Attack, Alaska Pilot and Hunting Guide Urban Rahoi Dies at 102, Alaska Might Close Caribou and Moose Hunt to Nonresident Hunters, Fish Per Mile: 9 of the Most Target-Rich Trout Rivers in the Lower 48, Peak-Bagging in the US: Getting Climbers High Since 1876, Waterfowl Starter Kit: Everything You Need to Slay Ducks and Geese, Goonies Never Say Die: The Hunt for Sunken Treasure, Tule Elk Hemmed in by High Fence Are Languishing in California Drought, Web Design and Development by Hire Jordan Smith. Consider this book required reading for its inspiration, innovation and hope for the Earth and future generations. An exemption to the Roadless Rule that was approved by then President Donald Trump last fall has been reversed by the Biden administration’s US Department of Agriculture, restoring full environmental protections for the Tongass region. Additional safeguards to end large-scale old-growth logging in the Tongass and make a $25 million investment in local sustainable development are also included. Inventoried Roadless Areas by State. 201 14th St., SW Southeast Alaska is at a unique crossroads in its management of the Tongass National Forest. Washington, D.C. Join the list to receive special offers and updates! The Tongass National Forest in Alaska is the largest National Forest in the U.S. and it is home to incredible outdoor recreation, including mountaineering and sea kayaking. How will reimposition of the 2001 Roadless Rule … In August 2018 the State of Alaska and the USDA Forest Service signed a memorandum of understanding to document cooperation between the parties on the development of the state-specific rule. “This announcement will help ensure these values remain long into the future, that we are investing where we see the greatest return, and that management of the Tongass supports the region’s economic mainstays of fishing and tourism. Opponents of the rule say it puts too many burdens on development in the forest, making even small developments like infrastructure projects too costly to complete. President Donald Trump ended the protections for the forest three months before leaving office. From duplicitous if not downright diabolical humans to demons of the fjords and deep seas and cryptids of the forest, Bjorn presents a lively cross-section of the haunter and the haunted found in Alaska’s Inside Passage. In the Tongass, the roadless rule has facilitated the protection of ancient stands of Sitka spruce, western hemlock, western red cedar, and Alaska cedar, as well as salmon habitat and the traditional homelands of more than a dozen southeast Alaska tribes. ... “The only reason for a full repeal of the roadless rule on the Tongass is to open up areas for logging,” he said. Found inside – Page 10Among other questions , the NOI specifically asked commenters to address whether or not the proposed rule should apply to the Tongass National Forest . A DEIS and the Roadless Area Conservation Proposed Rule were released for review and ... Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. A new paper edition of the state's history, which focuses on Russian America and American Alaska. The impact statement identified “Alternative 6,” … exempt the Tongass National Forest from the 2001 Roadless Rule (84 FR 55522). His work has appeared in Gray’s Sporting Journal, the Fly Fish Journal, The Drake, Southern Culture on the Fly, Revive, Midcurrent, Trout, and a handful of other non-outdoors-related magazines and literary journals. Over more than two years, the agency received and reviewed input provided through public meetings and subsistence hearings, 411,000 written comments and petitions, government-to-government consultations with federally recognized tribes and Alaska Native corporations, and engagement with cooperating agencies. The forest was heavily logged in the 1960s and the 1970s, but in 2001 President Bill Clinton enacted the “roadless rule” … USDA exempts Tongass National Forest from Roadless Rule In late October, the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced a decision to exempt the Tongass National Forest from the Clinton-era rule. The proposed rule exempts the Tongass National Forest from the 2001 Roadless Rule, is responsive to the State of Alaska's petition, and is based on Alternative 6 of the DEIS. The Forest Service needs to carefully consider the serious ramifications that reimposition of the Roadless Rule will have on our nation’s efforts to increase local, high paying jobs and reduce our dependence on fossil fuels. SAVE Alaska’s Tongass National Forest! On Oct. 29, 2020,the Forest Service published a final ruleexempting the entire Tongass National Forest from the 2001 Roadless Rule, opening the State of Start Printed Page 55523Alaska v. USDA, A01-039 CV (JKS) (D. Alaska). The USDA and the State of Alaska reached a settlement in 2003, and the USDA subsequently issued a rule temporarily exempting the Tongass National Forest from the 2001 Roadless Rule. 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