Tongass Rainforest's Future Uncertain as Trump Aims to Open Logging
The Tongass, America's largest temperate rainforest, is a vital carbon sink and home to numerous species. It provides clean water to communities and supports Indigenous peoples. However, its future is uncertain due to the Trump administration's plans to open it up for logging. The Tongass, spanning 17 million acres in Alaska, stores 8% of all carbon in US forests. It's a crucial bulwark against climate change. In 2001, the Clinton administration protected 50 million acres with the Roadless Rule, banning road construction and logging. This rule has been challenged and changed over the years. In 2019, the Trump administration moved to gut these protections, aiming to open up 9.3 million acres for logging. This includes 1.8 million acres previously protected by a federal judge's ruling. The Tongass provides clean water to communities and fish hatcheries, and its destruction would harm the Tlingit, Haida, and Tsimshian peoples. Experts call it the 'crown jewel' of the US Forest Service. The fate of the Tongass hangs in the balance. Its destruction would accelerate climate change, harm Indigenous communities, and threaten the clean water supply for many. Environmentalists, including former Sierra Club executive director Michael Brune, are pushing back against the Trump administration's plans.
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