The END of Old-Growth Clearcutting on the Tongass

We are overjoyed by the news this morning from the US Department of Agriculture. Finally, the forests of the Tongass are being acknowledged for all they offer, and the days of clearcut logging are over. Today we learned that the Roadless Rule is being restored. There will be no more clearcut logging of old-growth on federal lands. Read the USDA announcement here.

Current active old-growth clearcut timber sales, including the Twin Mountain sale on Prince of Wales are canceled. The promise today is one of healing. There will be funding to start restoring the lands ravaged by clearcut logging. And there is a new commitment to consulting tribes and indigenous leaders.

The future of our planet depends on this sort of courageous decision-making, and we will do all we can to support the clear intention expressed today in becoming strong, permanent policies!

Thank you Tongass advocates! Thanks especially to everyone who has been asking for what the Tongass deserves, not just what feels politically possible. We are filled with love for the people who speak clearly for these ancient trees and this lush bioregion.