Biden administration proposes sweeping protections for Alaska's Tongass National Forest
Source: Washington Post
Climate and Environment
Biden administration proposes sweeping protections for Alaska’s Tongass National Forest
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack to end large old-growth sales, bar road construction on 9.3 million acres of forest in a move that would reverse one of Donald Trump’s biggest public land decisions
By Juliet Eilperin
July 15, 2021 | Updated today at 1:07 p.m. EDT
The Biden administration announced sweeping protections for Alaska’s Tongass National Forest on Thursday, including an end to large-scale old-growth logging and a proposal to bar road development on more than 9 million acres.
The changes mark a major shift for a region that has relied on felling massive trees for more than a century, reversing one of former president Donald Trump’s biggest public land decisions and halting a significant source of future carbon emissions. The Tongass, part of one of the world’s last relatively intact temperate rainforests, is the only national forest where old-growth logging still takes place on an industrial scale.
The 16.7 million-acre forest — which once boasted major pulp mills but is now targeted for its fine-grain, centuries-old trees that are coveted for pricey musical instruments, expansive outdoor decks and elegant shingles — has been a political flash point for two decades. While Democrats have sought to scale back logging in the forest over time, the administration’s moves go further than any previous president’s efforts.
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said the proposal would provide $25 million for community development, and allow Alaska Natives and small-scale operators to continue to harvest some old-growth trees. But Vilsack — who proposed a much more gradual transition away from old-growth logging when he was secretary under President Barack Obama — said it’s time to focus on other economic activities, including fishing, recreation and tourism.
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By Juliet Eilperin
Juliet Eilperin is a Pulitzer Prize-winning senior national affairs correspondent for The Washington Post, covering environmental and energy policy. She has written two books, "Demon Fish: Travels Through the Hidden World of Sharks" and "Fight Club Politics: How Partisanship is Poisoning the House of Representatives." Twitter https://twitter.com/eilperin
Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2021/07/15/biden-alaska-tongass-logging-roadless/
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