The 17-million-acre Tongass absorbs about 8 percent of nations carbon dioxide pollution from the atmosphere every year. Major funding for NOVA is provided by the NOVA Science Trust, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, and PBS viewers. The 17 million acre forest, is home to over 400 different species of animal and marine wildlife. The Tongass National Forest is the crown jewel of the country's national forest system. Some 195 nations agreed on the urgency of the threat. Timber sales within the National Forest frequently result in substantial road building and habitat loss. In the Pacific Northwest, however, both transitioned to logging young forests almost overnight when courts halted access to old growth. In the past, scientists were divided on whether it was better to focus on the stewardship of ancient forests, or to prioritize the replanting of new, young forests. But Indigenous residents tend toward the upper end of that range since fish, particularly salmon, play a crucial role in many tribes cultural heritage. The server is misbehaving. Additionally, as the website, "earthjustice.org" explains, "The Tongass storeshundreds of millions, if not over a billion, tons of carbon, keeping the heat-trapping element out of the atmosphere.". The implications of this system are still being felt today as many students not only suffered the loss of their language, but also their culture and identity. The Tongass provides food security for thousands of Alaskans and produces 25% of West Coast salmon. 6.) We cant afford to spend another 16 years or more liquidating Tongass old growth and losing the carbon reserves it stores. The nutrient-rich waters of the Tongass produce about 50 millionsalmonvalued at $60 million annually, according to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). In the Tongass rainforest, the Forest Service has clung to the old-school logging of some of the most biologically rich, scenically stunning and carbon-dense forests on Earth. Diese Seite ist durch reCAPTCHA geschtzt und es gelten die Google. Buy Stop Deforestation Save the Tongass Tank Top: Shop top fashion brands Tanks & Camis at Amazon.com FREE DELIVERY and Returns possible on eligible purchases The paychecks and jobs have dried up, but the forest, our deer and moose populations, and our salmon streams have not yet recovered from this era. In combination with British Columbia's Great Bear Rainforest immediately to the south, the region encompasses the largest intact temperate rainforest on earth. They grow potatoes, often hunt seafood (fish, oysters, clams etc), roots, & eat berries. Those in favor of relaxing restrictions of the roadless rule include the Alaska Resource Development Council, the Greater Juneau Chamber of Commerce and the Alaska Miners Association. According to one analysis, the logging proposed under the agencys plan would release carbon dioxide emissions equivalent to about 4 million additional vehicles annually. The translates to $3.22 spent per $1 recieved. It is home to the Tlingit, Haida, and Tshimsian Peoples. Brown bears, fox, wolves, hawks, owls, & bald eagles are all examples of keystone species. Image Credit: Phillip Gladkov. October 28, 2020 at 11:50 a.m. EDT. As we continue to listen to people who live and work in the forests of Southeast Alaska, we're forming solutions that support fish and wildlife and sustainable communities. www.defenders.org Alaska Field Office 441 West 5th Avenue, Suite 302 Anchorage, Alaska 99501 907.276.9453 National . The Organized Village of Kake is not interested in short-term profit, exploiting what we have to create gains for the next 10 to 50 years, Jackson says. There, the agency plans to continue liquidating carbon-laden old growth for at least another decade and a half. 5.) Almost 90% of all trees cut on the Tongass National Forest are exported as whole, round log exports at a loss of millions of dollars to American taxpayers. They're doing a lot of work in climate mitigation, and what we need to do is let them continue that work, because once you harvest these big trees with a high carbon density, its as if you are robbing the Fort Knox of carbon reserves., In fact, a new study published in early November concluded that, protecting and growing more large trees is the most effective option for accumulating more carbon out of the atmosphere, and will benefit other ecosystem services as well.. For Alaska Natives, healthy old-growth forests and salmon streams are integral to the future of their communities. . Soil will become less most & more dry with fewer trees. The Tongass National Forest was incorporated in the Roadless Initiative that was passed on January 5, 2001, and it happened on the last few days of the Bill Clinton Administration. Within these schools, there were reports of physical and sexual abuse, and children were beaten for speaking their native langauages, according to a University of Alaska study on the long-term effect of boarding schools on Alaska Natives. The Trump administration this . Mike Dunleavy said in hisState of the State address in January. If the forests are allowed to grow, they can continue to accumulate live carbon for hundreds of years, as observed in the Pacific Northwest, Law says. National Corporate funding for NOVA is provided by Brilliant.org. Then it caught up with him. The Tongass National Forest in Southeast Alaska is the largest intact temperate rainforest in the world. They will always remember that number because it was the first time a new identity had been placed upon them. Many watersheds in Southeast where development such as logging and road building has occurred can benefit from active habitat management. Kootznoowoo Wilderness, located on Admiralty Island in the Tongass National Forest, gets its name from the indigenous people of southeast Alaska, the Tlingit. The rule has long prohibited development on 9.2 million acres of inventoried roadless areas in the Tongass. #iamthewest: Giving voice to the people that make up communities in the region. Trump's USDA is removing protections from Tongass National Forest. The Trump administrations draft environmental impact statement acknowledges the ecological importance of the Tongass National Forest in regulating global climate, but also claims that opening up the region to logging and development will not have long-lasting negative effects. Timber harvests have declined but are still important as forest management transitions to a more sustainable future. . The TTRA was introduced on February 9, 1989 at the 101st Congress, 1989-1990, and was enacted when signed by President George H. W. Bush on November 28, 1990. There are an estimated 30,000 bears there, about 95% of the entire population in the United States. The Tongass National Forest (/ t s /) in Southeast Alaska is the largest U.S. National Forest at 16.7 million acres (26,100 sq mi; 6,800,000 ha; 68,000 km 2).Most of its area is temperate rain forest and is remote enough to be home to many species of endangered and rare flora and fauna. But its notover. Tongass is Alaska's first line of climate defense. It is long past the time to take the countrys biggest carbon asset off the chopping block. State of Alaska Department of Natural Resources. Will you do the same? The U.S. Forest Service recommended eliminating protections under the roadless rule on 9.3 million acres of the Tongass National Forest.. We need to be doing everything we can right now. 17 million acres, and largest number of old growth trees. The Tongass is Earth's largest remaining temperate rainforest, and the largest National Forest in the United States. Utah dismisses youth climate case. "With the Trump administration's help, the devastating Clinton-era roadless rule may soon be history, and the Tongass restored to a managed multiuse forest as it was always intended," Alaska Gov. That includes the forest, the beaches, the sky, and our totem poles and carvings come from the old growth, red and yellow cedar trees., Yahguudang, a Haida phrase that means respect for all living beings, has driven the cultural, environmental, political, and business decisions of the Haida people for more than 10,000 years. The Tongass is also the largest National Forest in the United States, covering 16.7 million acres and stretching across mountains, bays, glaciers, 1,000 islands, 18,000 miles of coastline, and almost all of mainland Southeast Alaska. Emerald Edge the largest intact temperate rainforest remaining on Earth. The Tongass National Forest covers most of Southeast Alaska and the Inside Passage, and offers an astounding view of 'wild' Alaska; lush rainforests, magnificent glaciers and icefields, mountains, waterways and thousands of islands. When these forests are logged, the carbon that they had been storing is released back into the atmosphere. Please enter a valid email address (formatted as name@company.com). This decision wa made to build roads and implement other forms of urban development in an area of ancient woods. The purpose of this study is to examine the European carbon credit trading model and its impact on . Image Credit: Phillip Gladkov. In the rainforests of the Tongass, we have an immense conservation opportunity. ? Sincerely, Stop the global warming, soil erosion & flooding of waterways. Tongass National Forest helps ensure clean drinking water Forests constitute a water treatment network that catches rainfall, regulates storm runoff and pulls pollution from the soil rather than allowing it to make it back to waterways. To Anderson, the increased logging and development of the Tongass will adversely affect the Haida tribe and their connection to their ancestral homeland. I strongly urge you, sign this petition to make our voice stronger, to help stand up and against this idea, and stand with the many people who care or will be affected. Radioactive waste sickened his community. However, certain lawmakers are looking at the option of lifting the rule for specific parts of Alaska,and sell it to anyone in the world who wants to come to Alaska for the purpose of farming. Opening up the Tongass National Forest to additional logging and development could have serious implications for both the environment and the Alaska Native communities that depend on it. Youve already signed up with this email address. S_USA. Over eight million hectares in size, it is the earth's largest remaining temperate rainforest. 94% of . At 17 million acres, Alaska's Tongass is the largest U.S. national forest and the world's largest remaining temperate rainforest. We're doing our best to get things working smoothly! Moving forward, as per the new ruling, the Tongass National Forest would be exempt from the protective 2001 Roadless Area Conservation Rule, which prohibited logging, road construction, and the installation of new roads through 9 million acres of the widely beloved forest. Without trees to absorb the water & return it to the soil there will be less water in the air from the water cycle. What the state courts decision signals for other similar cases. Image Credit: Phillip Gladkov. The Tongass National Forest consists of rain forests, glaciers and icefields, spectacular scenery, mountains, waterways and thousands of islands separated by straits and channels. Less trees will cause soil erosion, flooding, & pollute waterways. Deer, fox, moose, elk, brown bears, wolves, barred owls, great horned owls, Queen Charlotte goshawks, bald eagles, water buffalo, beavers, trout, salmon, & anglers are a few of the many species that will die as a result of losing their homes. Lichens adorn the trees with a mosaic of colors and textures, moss and ferns carpet the forest floor in lush green hues, and crystal-clear streams carve their way toward the Pacific Ocean. In the Tongass rainforest, the Forest Service has clung to the old-school logging of some of the most biologically rich, scenically stunning and carbon-dense forests on Earth. There is a trade-off between logging and healthy salmon populations, Berner says. Kootznoowoo means "Bear Fort" or "Fortress of the Bears," and its forests . More than 500 miles long and 100 miles wide, it encompasses 80 percent all the land in Alaska's Panhandle, extending from . Equity Action Plan. In published 2004 figures, average costs for logging on the Tongass were $137 per thousand board feet (mbf), and revenues were $42.54 per mbf. Which means that forests made up of ancient treeslike the temperate rainforest of the Tongassare comparable to the Fort Knox of carbon, Law noted. People will begin to see soil wash away from the land into waterways (rivers, streams, lakes, ponds, marshes, bays etc) which pollutes the water & causes fish + other aquatic species to die. According to Tripadvisor travelers, these are the best ways to experience Tongass National Forest: 3-Hour Alaska Rainforest Hiking Tour in Tongass National Forest from Ketchikan (From $99.00) 2 Hour Alaska Rainforest Walk and Totem Park Small Group Tour (From $77.93) Ketchikan Kayak Eco-Tour (From $149.00) Rivers run wild with salmon and trout, and tourists flock to miles of sandy shoreline and misty fjords. The majority of the forest is considered temperate rainforest and is home to endangered and rare flora and fauna. In justifying development in what has been described as an ecological oasis, the Trump administration is presenting an argument that many scientists disagree with: that any emissions from logging will be temporary, due to the timber sequestering carbon in building materials while the forest regrows and stockpiles even more CO2. Most of the forest is temperate rainforest, and it's filled with a wide variety of wildlife. The forest is primarily made up of western red cedar, sitka spruce, and western hemlock. For tribal representatives, this rollback on protections jeopardizes their cultural traditions and way of life, as well as the biodiverse habitats that attract millions of tourists to Southeast Alaska each year, bolstering the local economy. To put into context how critical salmon are to Southeast Alaska, the USDA also noted that nearly 90% of rural households in Southeast Alaska consume salmon, and on average, a resident of Southeast Alaskas rural communities consumes 75 pounds of salmon per year, while the U.S. national average for seafood consumption is less than 15 pounds per person per year. Mist hangs in the air in the Tongass National Forest in September 2020. Privacy Statement In 2019, the U.S. Forest Service released a summary of public comments which were overwhelmingly supportive of keeping the roadless protections in place. A coalition of Indigenous groups, businesses, and conservation organizations sued the Trump administration over its "arbitrary and reckless" removal of roadless protections for the nearly 17 million-acre Tongass National Forest in Alaska, warning that the rollback could devastate local communities, wildlife, and the climate. A trail through the Tongass national forest, home to some of the country's last remaining coniferous old growth. This was met with high praise from the public and from scientists like me, but at the agency level, his initiative stalled. These timber "sales" have been, as I alluded to, giveaways, with the Forest Service selling old growth trees for less than the price of a hamburger. The five species of salmon that the Indigenous first peoples of Alaska harvest and preserve are built into a complex distribution system based on 10,000 years of tradition, and represent a core element of their social gatherings. 2.) The agency says that neither it, nor the timber industry, can move any faster. She recalls an elder who had everything taken from him, who was forced to burn his belongings, and was given a jumpsuit with a number on it to identify him. Diese*r Petitionsstarter*in setzt sich fr Dinge ein, die ihr/ihm am Herzen liegen. long-term effect of boarding schools on Alaska Natives. He announced a transition away from further logging of Tongass old growth, with the Forest Service rapidly implementing this change. Some of their clothes are made from animal skins. Mostly, our federally managed national forests have made that change over the past 25 years. We need the Tongass National Forest to combat climate change and the only way to preserve it is to reinstate the Roadless Rule. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google. And we certainly shouldnt signal other countries that the vital business of saving their carbon-rich rainforests can wait for decades. Alaska Natives have made a home among its meandering streams and lush vegetation for thousands of years. In conclusion, I am asking people to stand up to The Trump Administration & not let Tongass National Forest be wiped out. 3.) The forest is an ecological treasure and needs to be protected from commercial logging, construction, and other deforestation. We will be working to meet with his transition team to discuss these matters and make sure he follows through, Jackson says. Indigenous Tribes will lose their homes & ways of life. The Forest Service went years with no visible progress on the transition, while approving continued clear-cutting of Americas last great rainforest. The agency asserts that young Tongass trees growing on old clear-cuts are not yet big enough to log. Within the Tongass Forest, 66 . From the Chief's Desk. Deforestation and degradation of the trees and soil would release massive amounts of carbon into the atmosphere, fueling the . The Tongass is the largest national forest in the United States and offers the potential to gain carbon sequestration credits that can be traded on carbon trading exchanges. It results in our people staying lost, and not being able to reconnect with who we are.. The Tongass National Forests trees hold about 650 million tons of carbon, which convert to about half of U.S. carbon dioxide emissions in 2017. Terms of Use The Tongass is our nation's largest National Forestthe Crown Jewel. Beverly Law, an Oregon State University emeritus professor whose forestry research is referenced in the statement, has called the science used to justify logging misinformation. This is in part because these reports fail to account for harvest impacts on forest carbon. Feature Classes: Abstract: Tongass Landslide Areas. Its a comprehensive synthesis of existing information on the Tongass forest and its biology. The decision to open up the Tongass to loggers could have serious implications for both the environment and the Alaska Native communities that depend on it. Once they have spawned, the salmon die, fulfilling a life cycle that provides nutrients for many protected species found in few other places in the continental United States. Image Credit: Marina Anderson, Its not food, its the fabric of my being, says Marina Anderson, tribal leader for the Organized Village of Kasan on Prince of Wales Island. At the end of October Trump & his Administration opened up roads & other areas of land in Alaska that have been closed from destruction for hundreds of years. The 17-million-acre Tongass is America's biggest national forest. Southeast Alaska's coastal villages have deep ties to the forest and sea and a unique way of life that taps the wealth of the forest and 17,000 miles of salmon streams. This petition starter stood up and took action. These productive lands and waters are the reason that the Haida, Tlingit, and Tsimshian tribes and their cultures have thrived in this region for over 10,000 years. The Tongass National Forest is not just Americas last climate sanctuary, but the ancestral homeland of the Haida, Tlingit, and Tsimshian peoples. It is the nation's largest national forest and one of the world's last relatively intact temperate rainforests and thus it has global significance2. This fall, the agency released its final transition proposal: 16 more years of old-growth clear-cutting, and maybe more. On Thursday 15 July, . Consumers such as deer, elk, moose, rabbits, squirrels, snakes, mice, mink, raccoons, & skunks will all over populate. You can camp in a campground - or in a cabin. Therefore, people will not have enough food to eat. The Nature Conservancy is a nonprofit, tax-exempt charitable organization (tax identification number 53-0242652) under Section 501(c)(3) of the U.S. Internal Revenue Code. Bodies of water will overflow destroying land. These maps provide a record of how development has affected the Tongass, and it also points us forward. You can hike through dense forest, alpine meadow, or on a wooden "boardwalk" trail through peat bogs called muskegs. At 16.8 million acres, the Tongass National Forest in southeast Alaska is the crown jewel of the national forest system. Roads and logging may disrupt that system and also introduce new sediment and pollutants to the mix. So it was a surprise to see the U.S. Forest Service as if in a time warp recently working counter to that approach in the vast Tongass National Forest of southeast Alaska. Tongass _Landslide_Areas. We're not ready to lose more of our home right now.. This will cause plants like (fruits & vegetables) to not be around for humans to eat. Keeping global warming below catastrophic levels is not something that can wait until we finally get around to it. It is now also at the center of a bitter battle between those . President Obama deserves much of the credit for this progress. Mobile Terms & Conditions | Wildlife no longer valued. With President-Elect Joe Biden publicly claiming he will be a climate change pioneer while in office, Joel Jackson is hopeful that he will keep the roadless rule in place. Deforestation and degradation of the trees and soil . To Joel Jackson, tribal president of the Organized Village of Kake, no one is more interested in the future prosperity of these lands than the Indigenous first peoples of Alaska: Our lands and waters provide us with our food, our cultural resources, the ability to practice our way of life, Jackson says. At nearly. Topic. Do not let species die because you do not care about their lives. Global sites represent either regional branches of The Nature Conservancy or local affiliates of The Nature Conservancy that are separate entities. The Forest Service bets on second-growth logging in Alaska, Put unemployed miners and drillers back to work in restoration. The Tongass Timber Reform Act (TTRA) is an act that was intended to amend the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act (ANILCA), with the primary intention to increase the protection of the Tongass National Forest from logging. -The tongass is the last forest in the country that is still being logged for old growth trees on the industrial scale- using clear cutting. By destroying Tongass National Forest there will be many negative effects. 4.) | Roughly 5000 streams, and multiple salmon runs. This layer is comprised of the FY2020 SSURGO polylines for all areas except the south half of Kruzof Island, which the NRCS has not . A comprehensive approach to conservation in Southeast Alaska ranging from diverse estuaries to cathedral rainforests of the Tongass National Forest is paying off. "Tongass National Forest is not only a pristine national treasure, the largest intact temperate forest in the world, and a key part of local tourism and recreation economies - it is also one. President Trump issued a notice removing protections from half of Alaska's Tongass National Forest against timber sales and logging roads, a move that would open 9.3 million acres of the country . It also teems with extraordinary wildlife, including bears, eagles, wolves and salmon. President Donald Trump has asked his agriculture secretary to provide a regulations exemption in order to open millions of acres of protected land within Alaska's Tongass National Forest to "potential logging, energy and mining projects," The Washington Post reported Tuesday. Enter the protected waters of Clover Pass and as you paddle around the island, spot wildlife including bald eagles, seals, salmon, and perhaps even humpbacks and orcas. To manage or opt-out of receiving cookies, please visit our, Get text updates from The Nature Conservancy. The. ESRI geodatabase (5MB). The new wood we use has to come instead from sustainably managed plantations and young stands that quickly regrow and recapture the carbon they lose to logging. Petition: Tell Congress to Restore Protections for Tongass National Forest; Biden Administration to Restore Protections For Alaska's Tongass National Forest; Broad-scale declines in forest birds of the Canadian Acadian Forest due to deforestation 'Unforgivable': Average of 2.4 black bears killed daily by B.C. At nearly 17 million acres, the Tongass National Forest holds the distinction as the largest national forest in the system, dwarfing the second largest, the Chugach, by more than 11.5 million acres. To build roads in the Tongass would cost taxpayers up to $500,000 a mile. Although young forests can absorb more carbon when trees are planted close to one another when they are small, researchers have found that a trees carbon absorption rate accelerates as the tree ages. But in the wilds of Alaska, its a different story. Rainforests are carbon sinks. Trump's last decision comes just days . There are still Alaska Native elders that talk about these boarding schools, Anderson says. The Tongass National Forest of Southeast Alaska is home to part of the Emerald Edge the largest intact temperate rainforest remaining on Earth. You can try refreshing the page, and if you're still having problems, just try again later. Please enter a valid email address (formatted as name@company.com). This ancient swath of nature is part of the United States largest national forest, which is a key habitat for wild Pacific salmon and trout and boasts the highest density of brown bears in North America. A landslide in the Tongass National Forest. The Trump administration has lifted longstanding. Fish & Wildlife Service and others, it allows us to literally map out the answers to questions about forestry, timber supply, wildlife management, salmon streams and more. Situated in the southeast corner of Alaska, the 17 million-acre temperate rainforest is unparalleled in its natural beauty and abundant wildlife. This inventory includes all mass wasting features--including talus slopes, snow avalanche fields . However, with this freshwater no longer in 'storage', the surrounding areas, being the Tongass National Forest, has become prime farmland. [9] Research shows that once logging is initiated in intact primary forests, even under so-called sustainable forest-management systems, biological degradation results. One of the world's largest intact temperate rainforests and the largest natural forest in the U.S. is now open for deforestation. We helped found theSustainable Southeast Partnership,a diverse network of organizations and individuals working together to reach cultural, ecological and economic prosperity. The Trump administration followed through on its threat to propose expanded logging on America's largest national forest today. Operation Care and Recovery. Image Credit: Michael Ryan Clark. Salmon is so much more than a simple food item to Alaska Natives. All three tribes make spears, fires, canoes, clothes, paddles, & houses from wood. Trees help soil keep in water & nutrients. The purpose of the data is to provide soil information for project-level and forest-level planning on the Tongass National Forest. Let these tribes continue to thrive & live their lives. Been logged for decades. In 2018, some 19 million board feet of timber were cut in the Tongass, down from more than 100 million board feet in 1999, two years before the roadless rule took effect. 550 W. 7th Ave, Suite 1360 Anchorage, AK 99501-3557 Phone: (907) 269-8400 Fax: (907) 269-8901 TTY: Dial 711 or 800-770-8973 Could Alaska help lessen international dependence on Russianoil? This is Americas largest rainforest. The Tongass National Forest absorbs about 8% of the world's carbon dioxide. Ultimately over time too much thermal energy from greenhouse gases causes a rise in temperatures globally across Earth. Image Credit: Michael Ryan Clark. Change.org Skip to main content Start a petition My petitions Browse Membership Log in Uh oh. This move would allow unfettered logging and road building on one of the last remaining intact temperate rainforests in the world. conservation officers in August The Tongass Rainforest of Alaska is the traditional homelands of the Tlingit, Haida and Tsimshian Peoples; the largest national forest in the U.S.; and has been called 'America's climate forest' due to its unsurpassed ability to sequester carbon and mitigate climate impacts. Next more thermal energy is left in the atmosphere. Tongass National Forest stretches across nearly 17 million acres of land in southeast Alaska and is home to a lush vibrant ecosystem. This website uses cookies to enhance your experience and analyze performance and traffic on our website. A rollback of federal protections puts more than half of it at risk. Did you mean to type He has become a powerful voice at home and abroad for doing everything possible to cut emissions. A vast swath of woodland that stretches along the southeast Alaskan coast and inland over more that 17 million acres (70,000 square km), the Tongass is one of the last temperate rainforests on. The Tongass, which is managed by the United States Forest Service, encompasses islands of the . On his watch, the United States has cut greenhouse gas emissions more than any other country. For these Native communities, the loss of children to boarding schools dealt a tremendous blow, one that led to a breakdown in society and increased drug and alcohol use. Whole, round log exports in the Tongass. We are planning for the next 10,000 years of prosperity., Marina Anderson, sitting in an area of clear-cut temperate forest on Prince of Wales Island in Tongass National Forest, Alaska. By clearing out a vast majority of Tongass National Forest will cause Tlingit, Hadia, & Tsimshian tribes to not know how to survive. Charitable Solicitation Disclosures The average Alaskan eats between six to eight ounces of fish per day. Change.org Uh oh. The Sitka Conservation Society strives to protect the remaining old growth forest and to advocate for wise and sustainable development of alternative Tongass resources such as salmon, second-growth timber, and tourism. Ninety-six percent of Alaskans surveyed by the USDA say salmon are essential to the Alaskan way of life. And he is showing global leadership in policy areas that go beyond the Paris agreement; for instance, he has ordered an overhaul of the federal coal-leasing program, which produces a tenth of all carbon dioxide emitted by U.S. sources. The primary goal of many educators during this era of compulsory boarding schools was to assimilate Native peoples into white American culture, the study noted. The Alaska Roadless Rule, approved on Oct. 29, 2020, exempted the Tongass from the 2001 Roadless Rule, which prohibited road . As Secretary of State John Kerry said recently, deforestation generates nearly a quarter of all the worlds greenhouse gas emissions. Tsimshian, Hadia, Tlingit tribes have been around for 5,000 to 11,000 years in Alaska. In Paris last December, the world turned a major corner on climate change. The Tongass serves as a buffer against climate change and as a refuge for salmon, birds, and other wildlife. The Tongass is the nation's largest national forest and covers most of Southeast Alaska, surrounding the famous Inside Passage and offers unique chances to view eagles, bears, spawning salmon, and the breath-taking vistas of "wild" Alaska. storing more carbon per acre in its centuries-old trees than almost any other forest on the planet. The science is clear: If we want to keep global warming from threatening the existence of coastal areas and low-lying island nations, the world must preserve its remaining old forests and the massive carbon reserves theyve accumulated over the centuries. The Tongass National Forest, the world's largest intact temperate rainforest, sustains Indigenous communities. Title VI Notice of Nondiscrimination "In 2001 Alaska's timber industry had over 500 million board feet of manufacturing capacity in Southeast Alaska, but now over 80% of that 2001 manufacturing capacity has been starved out of business and the remaining manufacturers are barely surviving at a small fraction of their capacity," wrote a coalition of business leaders in a letter to the U.S. Forest Service. required under new national forest regulations. It is a land where the forest meets the sea and as such, it supports some of the largest wild salmon populations left anywhere in the world. Delivering the mission. The server is misbehaving. These are everyday experiences in the Tongass National Forest. When logging companies go in and clear-cut these massive trees on a steep slope, there is a huge amount of sediment runoff because of how much it rains in Southeast Alaska, sometimes as much as 12-and-a-half feet annually, which can cause landslides and choke salmon streams, Berner explains. |. This happened to an entire generation of our people.. The Tongass National Forest is the largest national forest in the United States, spanning 17 million acres in Southeast Alaska. At the same time, we're working to sustain local economies and maintain the quality of life valued by people who live and work in the region. Desert people are just different; they were born tosurvive. The Secret Life of Scientists and Engineers. Wildlife is abundant throughout the Tongass National Forest. Forest conservation is only one corner in the race to stem climate disruption that the Paris agreement, though broadly encouraging, did not get us far enough around. Now, I am surrounded by the long-lasting effects of this short-sighted industrial activity, Jackson says. Thomas E. Lovejoy is a contributor to Writers on the Range, the opinion service of High Country News. I think the whole country is watching very closely to see what Biden will do, Jackson says. It is teeming with life: over 400 species of terrestrial and marine wildlife, fish and shellfish abound. No, I'm not making that up. In Alaska, salmon are also a keystone species, meaning that many other species in the ecosystem depend on them. Weve always been coastal dwelling people, and the salmon are our food source, and it relies on a well-balanced old-growth forest. Image Credit: Forest Service Alaska Region, USDA, Flickr. This data is a digital soil survey of the Tongass National Forest as well as some state and private lands in Southeast Alaska. 70,000 people call it home. The United States Geological Survey (USGS) recently estimated that if logging did not occur in the Tongass, then Alaskan forest carbon storage could increase by about 27% by the end of the century. Trump to strip protections from Tongass National Forest, one of the biggest intact temperate rainforests. The forest was named for a Tlingit Indian group. By Juliet Eilperin. The USFS acknowledges that the Tongass may be the most expensive national forest in the nation to log in. The Nature Conservancy analysis also identifies important, intact salmon watersheds that are critical to fisheries and merit special protection. WASHINGTON, Nov. 19, 2021 The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) today 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. In June and July, five species of salmon leave the Pacific Ocean and return to this region to lay their eggs in the same freshwater streams where they were born. Southeast Alaska encompasses more than 5,000 islands and 18,000 miles of shoreline. The Tongass National Fores t is a 17 million-acre forest representing about 90 percent of the southeastern panhandle of Alaska, making it the entire U.S.'s largest national forest. Anyway US President Donald Trump says yes to the logging of Alaska's Tongass forest. Without these animals the food chain will fall apart. In the Tongass rainforest, the Forest Service has clung to the old-school logging of some of the most biologically rich, scenically stunning and carbon-dense forests on Earth. Trees globally remove about 30% of the additional carbon dioxide that we add to the atmosphere, Law says. The Obama Administration accepted the clear cut . In addition to being a haven for rare wildlife, it is Earths largest remaining temperate rainforest, and is among the worlds best carbon sinks, absorbing and storing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere like a sponge. More than 80 percent of the region is included in the Tongass National Forest -- the nation's largest -- but public ownership does not guarantee that conservation and restoration lead forest policy. The Forest Service and the timber industry have already deforested more than 700 square miles in the Tongass National Forest. We are participating in the development of precedent-setting conservation plans on the Tongass and Chugach national forests and other "early adopters" of the new regulations. In fact, though, they are older and larger than the ones that local Native corporation loggers cut and sell abroad, and small local mills say they would be happy to process these trees locally, if they could get them from the agency. Its Pink snow is a red flag for the Wests water, An expedition through Kim Stringfellows Mojave, On Yellowstone, and the white desire to control the narrative. Donations are tax-deductible as allowed by law. The Tongass National Forest is the largest national forest in the U.S. and encompasses some of the largest remaining stands of old-growth, temperate rainforest in the world. We have not rebounded from the boarding schools and blatant attempts at colonization, because colonization is still happening, and we're having to fight it every day, Anderson says. Everything that we are made of is part of what is around us. Ultimately these three tribes will have nowhere to live, grow crops or have fertile soil, make their clothes, homes, & hunt if all of America allows Tongass to perish in a raid fashon due to man-made eradication. But its a vital one. Sprawling across southeast Alaska, the landscape boasts high populations of bears, wolves, and bald eagles. Its Americas last climate sanctuary.. 2022 The Nature Conservancy climate scientists also point out that the tongass, which is also one of the world's largest temperate rain forests, offers an important service to the billions of people across the planet who. Cutting down even a section of this temperate forest can result in major ecological damage, and it will take longer to fix than destroy. Brown bear, black bear, wolves and Sitka black-tailed deer thrive in this landscape, and it is one of the planet's greatest wild salmon nurseries. Its interface with the sea creates one of the largest, most pristine and productive estuarine systems in the world. In Southeast Alaska, TNC and a range of partners are working to forge a new sustainable future for nature and people. Potential negative effects on the Tongass may be ameliorated and may be completely reversed with time, reducing or eliminating potential negative cumulative effects on carbon and climate, noted the U.S. Forest Services draft environmental impact statement (DEIS). In Southeast Alaska, the Conservancy is committed to help: In recent decades, the debate over how to best manage the resources of the magnificent Tongass National Forest has often been contentious. The Tongass National Forest in Southeast Alaska is our nation's largest national forest, nearly 17 million acres in size. Forest/Grassland. Tongass National Forest is a massive yet fragile treasurelogging and slicing roads into it will set off horrifying effects that will ripple through the ecosystem. Whether at the gas station, dock, or any social gathering, salmon, and the distribution of it, is as interwoven with their culture as the lands and seas they rely upon. Brown bear, black bear, wolves and Sitka black-tailed deer thrive in this landscape, and it is one of the planet's greatest wild salmon nurseries. The logs were loaded into the ship, from bottom to many layers on top, totaling hundreds of acres of forest when full. A proposed LNG project spanning the state would export natural gas, but could harm land, wildlife & subsistence harvests. We've already seen wild salmon populations decline in much of western North America because of watershed deterioration, and exempting the relatively pristine Tongass National Forest from the roadless rule would adversely affect fisheries as well as recreation and tourism, which are huge elements of the economy in Southeast Alaska, Berner says. Receive emails about upcoming NOVA programs and related content, as well as featured reporting about current events through a science lens. He is a professor of Environmental Science and Policy at George Mason University and previously a senior environmental advisor to the World Bank and the United Nations Foundation. It is important to note the difference between old growth and new growth forests. The Tongass National Forest's trees hold about 650 million tons of carbon, which convert to about half of U.S. carbon dioxide emissions in 2017. Image courtesy of Marina Anderson. Due to this, the action prevented the building and creating of brand new roads on the areas of US national forests. For the last 20 years, the controversial Roadless Rule has been in effect, prohibiting roads on protected federal lands. As a former logger who participated in the timber boom around Kake, Jackson knows this intrinsically. At the COP26 summit, the president stressed the importance of preserving forests to fight climate change but critics say his policies tell another story. Old-growth forests of yellow cedar and red cedar, Sitka spruce and Western hemlock stand like wild cathedrals. By investing in the best science available, we're laying the groundwork for successfully restoring and protecting crucial habitat. The good news is the vegetation biomass is vast, but the better news is the soils are even more effective than trees at carbon storage. "The Tongass national forest needs to . Image Credit: Phillip Gladkov When you walk. The Tongass stores approximately 8% of the total carbon stored in all national forests. He barely remembered his Native name, but he said he would never forget the number that they gave him, Anderson says. Tlingit, Haida and Tsimshian tribes all live right in & around Tongass National Forest. Every year, one of natures great marvels unfolds within the nutrient-rich freshwater streams of the Tongass: Millions of salmon return to spawn. 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