long-term effect of boarding schools on Alaska Natives. 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.". "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. The nutrient-rich waters of the Tongass produce about 50 millionsalmonvalued at $60 million annually, according to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). The move by the Trump administration would overturn the Roadless Rule Act, which safeguarded the forest against industrial clear-cut logging and road building on national forest lands since it was passed in 2001 by the Clinton administration, with widespread approval among conservationists and scientists. There, the agency plans to continue liquidating carbon-laden old growth for at least another decade and a half. President Obama deserves much of the credit for this progress. October 28, 2020 at 11:50 a.m. EDT. 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. The Trump administration on Wednesday moved to open Alaska's Tongass National Forest the world's largest intact temperate rainforest to logging and other development, obliterating protections for a national forest that President Theodore Roosevelt established more than a century ago. 4.) It is teeming with life: over 400 species of terrestrial and marine wildlife, fish and shellfish abound. To build roads in the Tongass would cost taxpayers up to $500,000 a mile. The server is misbehaving. Receive emails about upcoming NOVA programs and related content, as well as featured reporting about current events through a science lens. Your swift action is appreciated. Since 2001, the Roadless Area Conservation Rule has been in place, prohibiting roadbuilding and logging in 39 states, including Alaska. 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. You can hike through dense forest, alpine meadow, or on a wooden "boardwalk" trail through peat bogs called muskegs. What the state courts decision signals for other similar cases. 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. They grow potatoes, often hunt seafood (fish, oysters, clams etc), roots, & eat berries. The Obama Administration accepted the clear cut . A comprehensive approach to conservation in Southeast Alaska ranging from diverse estuaries to cathedral rainforests of the Tongass National Forest is paying off. Due to the world's warming temperatures, Alaska's famous glaciers are melting. 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 tongass is the last forest in the country that is still being logged for old growth trees on the industrial scale- using clear cutting. The 17-million-acre Tongass absorbs about 8 percent of nations carbon dioxide pollution from the atmosphere every year. 6.) By clearing out a vast majority of Tongass National Forest will cause Tlingit, Hadia, & Tsimshian tribes to not know how to survive. S_USA. The Nature Conservancy analysis also identifies important, intact salmon watersheds that are critical to fisheries and merit special protection. Marina Anderson highlighted the fact that Alaska Natives are fighting to reclaim their ancestral culture and identity, and this is innately tied to stewardship of natural resources. A little more than half of Tongass National Forest is now open to being destroyed. The majority of the forest is considered temperate rainforest and is home to endangered and rare flora and fauna. 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. Roads and logging may disrupt that system and also introduce new sediment and pollutants to the mix. Ninety-six percent of Alaskans surveyed by the USDA say salmon are essential to the Alaskan way of life. 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). Operation Care and Recovery. Many watersheds in Southeast where development such as logging and road building has occurred can benefit from active habitat management. In this July 31, 2013, file photo, tourists visiting the Mendenhall Glacier in the Tongass National Forest are reflected in a pool of . . | The average Alaskan eats between six to eight ounces of fish per day. This decision wa made to build roads and implement other forms of urban development in an area of ancient woods. 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. 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. For Alaska Natives, healthy old-growth forests and salmon streams are integral to the future of their communities. They also agreed to take steps to combat it, including promoting forest protection and reforestation steps that are necessary, though not in themselves sufficient, if we are to avoid consequences as extreme for our economies and health as they are for the environment. On Thursday 15 July, . Cutting down even a section of this temperate forest can result in major ecological damage, and it will take longer to fix than destroy. 70,000 people call it home. 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. The 17-million-acre Tongass is America's biggest national forest. Image Credit: Michael Ryan Clark. 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. At 17 million acres, this magnificent landscape of western hemlock, Sitka spruce, western red cedar and yellow cedar trees is part of the world's largest remaining intact temperate rainforest, and hosts some of the rarest ecosystems on the planet. I think the whole country is watching very closely to see what Biden will do, Jackson says. The Trump administration followed through on its threat to propose expanded logging on America's largest national forest today. Equity Action Plan. Southeast Alaska encompasses more than 5,000 islands and 18,000 miles of shoreline. Trump to strip protections from Tongass National Forest, one of the biggest intact temperate rainforests. Image Credit: Forest Service Alaska Region, USDA, Flickr. Terms of Use This happened to an entire generation of our people.. Black bears are common as well as mountain goats and moose. When these forests are logged, the carbon that they had been storing is released back into the atmosphere. In Paris last December, the world turned a major corner on climate change. Machen Sie das auch? 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. From the Chief's Desk. 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. Donations are tax-deductible as allowed by law. We will be working to meet with his transition team to discuss these matters and make sure he follows through, Jackson says. 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. An end to old-growth logging in Alaskas Tongass? They will always remember that number because it was the first time a new identity had been placed upon them. By destroying a large amount of rainforest causes a huge amount of Carbon to be released into the atmosphere. Change.org Uh oh. Everything that we are made of is part of what is around us. 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. The Tongass National Forest in Southeast Alaska is the largest intact temperate rainforest in the world. The Forest Service's proposal, if approved by the Secretary of Agriculture Sonny. In combination with British Columbia's Great Bear Rainforest immediately to the south, the region encompasses the largest intact temperate rainforest on earth. The translates to $3.22 spent per $1 recieved. According to one analysis, the logging proposed under the agencys plan would release carbon dioxide emissions equivalent to about 4 million additional vehicles annually. We need to be doing everything we can right now. 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. At the COP26 summit, the president stressed the importance of preserving forests to fight climate change but critics say his policies tell another story. 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. 135. Kootznoowoo Wilderness, located on Admiralty Island in the Tongass National Forest, gets its name from the indigenous people of southeast Alaska, the Tlingit. Clear cutting in the Tongass National Forest. 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. 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. Tongass National Forest stretches across nearly 17 million acres of land in southeast Alaska and is home to a lush vibrant ecosystem. The Tongass National Forest offers outstanding recreation opportunities, some very different from anything you'll experience in National Forests in the lower 48 states. Deforestation would harm the tribes' cultures and food sources, it . In Southeast Alaska, TNC and a range of partners are working to forge a new sustainable future for nature and people. Alaska Natives have made a home among its meandering streams and lush vegetation for thousands of years. To Anderson, the increased logging and development of the Tongass will adversely affect the Haida tribe and their connection to their ancestral homeland. The Secret Life of Scientists and Engineers. Trump's USDA is removing protections from Tongass National Forest. 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. argument that many scientists disagree with: U.S. Forest Services draft environmental impact statement, carbon absorption rate accelerates as the tree ages, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), 90% of rural households in Southeast Alaska consume salmon. 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. 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. Image courtesy of Marina Anderson. It results in our people staying lost, and not being able to reconnect with who we are.. Roughly 5000 streams, and multiple salmon runs. 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. 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. For the last 20 years, the controversial Roadless Rule has been in effect, prohibiting roads on protected federal lands. ESRI geodatabase (5MB). This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google. The purpose of the data is to provide soil information for project-level and forest-level planning on the Tongass National Forest. As a former logger who participated in the timber boom around Kake, Jackson knows this intrinsically. 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. And we certainly shouldnt signal other countries that the vital business of saving their carbon-rich rainforests can wait for decades. Less trees will cause soil erosion, flooding, & pollute waterways. 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. Thomas E. Lovejoy is a contributor to Writers on the Range, the opinion service of High Country News. Timber harvests have declined but are still important as forest management transitions to a more sustainable future. We're doing our best to get things working smoothly! These lands continue to support living traditions of Native people as they have for thousands of years. Do not let species die because you do not care about their lives. Consumers such as deer, elk, moose, rabbits, squirrels, snakes, mice, mink, raccoons, & skunks will all over populate. Six years ago, Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack decided that enough was enough. Marina Andersons nephew standing where an old growth cedar tree once stood. 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. Some old-growth trees in the Tongass are hundreds of years old, so it would take a very long time for the forest to regain such a huge amount of carbon, Law explained. Stop the global warming, soil erosion & flooding of waterways. Without these animals the food chain will fall apart. Its approximately 26,560 square miles (68,790 square km), composed of (volcanic) mountainous offshore archipelagos and rugged fjord-indented coastline, include some of the . In 2019, the U.S. Forest Service released a summary of public comments which were overwhelmingly supportive of keeping the roadless protections in place. Forest/Grassland. 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. The wholesale destruction of our imperiled planet's most life-sustaining forests has to stop Anthropologist and former. 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. The Forest Service bets on second-growth logging in Alaska, Put unemployed miners and drillers back to work in restoration. Within the Tongass Forest, 66 . 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. Wildlife is abundant throughout the Tongass National Forest. 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. Every year, one of natures great marvels unfolds within the nutrient-rich freshwater streams of the Tongass: Millions of salmon return to spawn. This is Americas largest rainforest. National Corporate funding for NOVA is provided by Brilliant.org. storing more carbon per acre in its centuries-old trees than almost any other forest on the planet. 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. Image Credit: Michael Ryan Clark. An important part of our scientific understanding of the region comes from ourSoutheast Alaska Ecoregional Assessment. |. Tlingit, Haida and Tsimshian tribes all live right in & around Tongass National Forest. 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 is a trade-off between logging and healthy salmon populations, Berner says. Now, I am surrounded by the long-lasting effects of this short-sighted industrial activity, Jackson says. It is now also at the center of a bitter battle between those . Now, the Trump administration wants to resume large-scale logging in the Tongass, one of several initiatives threatening some of Alaska's wildest lands. 17 million acres, and largest number of old growth trees. The Tongass National Forest of Southeast Alaska is home to part of the Emerald Edge the largest intact temperate rainforest remaining on Earth. In conclusion, I am asking people to stand up to The Trump Administration & not let Tongass National Forest be wiped out. Keeping global warming below catastrophic levels is not something that can wait until we finally get around to it. All three tribes make spears, fires, canoes, clothes, paddles, & houses from wood. 94% of . Its interface with the sea creates one of the largest, most pristine and productive estuarine systems in the world. . A rollback of federal protections puts more than half of it at risk. 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. Timber sales within the National Forest frequently result in substantial road building and habitat loss. But its notover. 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 Title VI Notice of Nondiscrimination 2.) This petition starter stood up and took action. 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. The logs were loaded into the ship, from bottom to many layers on top, totaling hundreds of acres of forest when full. By destroying Tongass National Forest there will be many negative effects. A trail through the Tongass national forest, home to some of the country's last remaining coniferous old growth. 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. The Tongass National Forest, the world's largest intact temperate rainforest, sustains Indigenous communities. 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. Image Credit: Marina Anderson, The lack of access to the materials that we live in balance with leads to the further genocide of our people, our culture, and us not being able to hand down our traditions, Anderson says. There are an estimated 30,000 bears there, about 95% of the entire population in the United States. The Tongass National Forest consists of rain forests, glaciers and icefields, spectacular scenery, mountains, waterways and thousands of islands separated by straits and channels. The Alaska Roadless Rule, approved on Oct. 29, 2020, exempted the Tongass from the 2001 Roadless Rule, which prohibited road . 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. 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. Next more thermal energy is left in the atmosphere. 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. When you walk into the temperate rainforest of the Tongass, a peaceful stillness greets you. #iamthewest: Giving voice to the people that make up communities in the region. Which means that forests made up of ancient treeslike the temperate rainforest of the Tongassare comparable to the Fort Knox of carbon, Law noted. This fall, the agency released its final transition proposal: 16 more years of old-growth clear-cutting, and maybe more. 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. Sitka blacktail deer and its two main predators, wolf and brown bear, are found here. We strive to protect and restore the ecological integrity and unique natural qualities of this coastal rainforest. Without trees to absorb the water & return it to the soil there will be less water in the air from the water cycle. The agency says that neither it, nor the timber industry, can move any faster. The Forest Service can and must move much faster and not undermine U.S. progress and leadership on climate change by protecting these biologically rich and most scenically stunning and carbon dense forests on Earth. It is home to the Tlingit, Haida, and Tshimsian Peoples. The Tongass National Forest absorbs about 8% of the world's carbon dioxide. The U.S. Forest Service recommended eliminating protections under the roadless rule on 9.3 million acres of the Tongass National Forest.. Utah dismisses youth climate case. Topic. Youve already signed up with this email address. Tsimshian, Hadia, Tlingit tribes have been around for 5,000 to 11,000 years in Alaska. 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: Phillip Gladkov When you walk. Brown and black bears gorge themselves on salmon in preparation for hibernation, bald eagles feast on the spoils of these fish, and wolves even wade into the rivers to hunt for salmon. Some of their clothes are made from animal skins. Year. Ultimately over time too much thermal energy from greenhouse gases causes a rise in temperatures globally across Earth. Delivering the mission. 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. Tongass _Landslide_Areas. This inventory includes all mass wasting features--including talus slopes, snow avalanche fields . This layer is comprised of the FY2020 SSURGO polylines for all areas except the south half of Kruzof Island, which the NRCS has not . Privacy Statement Since we have seen firsthand the destruction of the resources and habitat that our community depends on, we seek to protect what is left., Jackson made it clear that his community is prioritizing longevity over profits. 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. The forest is an ecological treasure and needs to be protected from commercial logging, construction, and other deforestation. While tropical rainforests are the lungs of the planet, the Tongass is the lungs of North America, says Dominick DellaSala, chief scientist with the Earth Island Institutes Wild Heritage project. 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. These maps provide a record of how development has affected the Tongass, and it also points us forward. Bodies of water will overflow destroying land. Salmon is so much more than a simple food item to Alaska Natives. [10] The 17 million acre forest, is home to over 400 different species of animal and marine wildlife. At 16.8 million acres, the Tongass National Forest in southeast Alaska is the crown jewel of the national forest system. Biden Administration begins to Restore Protections for Alaska's Tongass National Forest. The Forest Service and the timber industry have already deforested more than 700 square miles in the Tongass National Forest. 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. Sincerely, 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. Tag. This will cause plants like (fruits & vegetables) to not be around for humans to eat. Diese Seite ist durch reCAPTCHA geschtzt und es gelten die Google. Tongass National Forest. Completed in partnership with Audubon Alaska, using information shared by the Forest Service, the State of Alaska, the U.S. This move would allow unfettered logging and road building on one of the last remaining intact temperate rainforests in the world. 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. 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. To manage or opt-out of receiving cookies, please visit our, Get text updates from The Nature Conservancy. You can camp in a campground - or in a cabin. 3.) Will you do the same? Trump's last decision comes just days . The server is misbehaving. This was met with high praise from the public and from scientists like me, but at the agency level, his initiative stalled. Most of the forest is temperate rainforest, and it's filled with a wide variety of wildlife. 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. The Tongass is Earth's largest remaining temperate rainforest, and the largest National Forest in the United States. We cant afford to spend another 16 years or more liquidating Tongass old growth and losing the carbon reserves it stores. Marine mammals found along the shores include Dall's and harbor porpoises, harbor seals, sea otters, and humpback, minke, and killer whales. | Please enter a valid email address (formatted as name@company.com). 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. 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 Tongass serves as a buffer against climate change and as a refuge for salmon, birds, and other wildlife. 2022 The Nature Conservancy 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. 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. Whole, round log exports in the Tongass. The Tongass National Forest is the crown jewel of the country's national forest system. Themes: avalanche, landslides, tongass national forest, mass wasting Date of last refresh: Aug 13, 2019. metadata : This is a once-over landslide inventory of the Tongass National Forest. As Secretary of State John Kerry said recently, deforestation generates nearly a quarter of all the worlds greenhouse gas emissions. Deforestation and degradation of the trees and soil . Image Credit: Phillip Gladkov. The Trump administration has lifted longstanding. 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. At 17 million acres, Alaska's Tongass is the largest U.S. national forest and the world's largest remaining temperate rainforest. [9] Research shows that once logging is initiated in intact primary forests, even under so-called sustainable forest-management systems, biological degradation results. From the early 1900s to 1970s, Alaska Natives were taken from rural communities that lacked primary or secondary schools and sent to boarding schools run by the federal Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), private churches, and later Alaskas state government. Over eight million hectares in size, it is the earth's largest remaining temperate rainforest. The USFS acknowledges that the Tongass may be the most expensive national forest in the nation to log in. This data is a digital soil survey of the Tongass National Forest as well as some state and private lands in Southeast Alaska. You can try refreshing the page, and if you're still having problems, just try again later. Image Credit: Phillip Gladkov. www.defenders.org Alaska Field Office 441 West 5th Avenue, Suite 302 Anchorage, Alaska 99501 907.276.9453 National . A proposed LNG project spanning the state would export natural gas, but could harm land, wildlife & subsistence harvests. 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. Diese*r Petitionsstarter*in setzt sich fr Dinge ein, die ihr/ihm am Herzen liegen. Image Credit: Marina Anderson. Some 195 nations agreed on the urgency of the threat. 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. 5.) 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. In the rainforests of the Tongass, we have an immense conservation opportunity. The purpose of this study is to examine the European carbon credit trading model and its impact on . Trees globally remove about 30% of the additional carbon dioxide that we add to the atmosphere, Law says. storing more carbon per acre in its centuries-old trees than almost any other forest on the planet. 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. The Tongass, which is managed by the United States Forest Service, encompasses islands of the . 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. | Rainforests are carbon sinks. The Tongass National Forest plays a significant role in managing greenhouse gas emissions since its climatic and environmental conditions are optimal for massive carbon storage. 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). Feature Classes: Abstract: Tongass Landslide Areas. However, Alaska state officials are welcoming the decision to reverse the roadless rule. State of Alaska Department of Natural Resources. 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. Photograph: Rafe Hanson "Six decades of predatory logging has imperiled the . To put that into perspective, that would be equivalent to about 19 years of current greenhouse gas emissions from human activities in the state of Alaska, says Logan Berner, a global change ecologist who lived in Southeast Alaska for over two decades. Mist hangs in the air in the Tongass National Forest in September 2020. A landslide in the Tongass National Forest. 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. 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. However, with this freshwater no longer in 'storage', the surrounding areas, being the Tongass National Forest, has become prime farmland. 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. | Been logged for decades. By investing in the best science available, we're laying the groundwork for successfully restoring and protecting crucial habitat. 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. Wildlife no longer valued. It is long past the time to take the countrys biggest carbon asset off the chopping block. The Tongass stores approximately 8% of the total carbon stored in all national forests. Therefore, people will not have enough food to eat. On his watch, the United States has cut greenhouse gas emissions more than any other country. The Tongass National Forest in Southeast Alaska is our nation's largest national forest, nearly 17 million acres in size. The Tongass National Forest of Southeast Alaska is home to part of the Emerald Edge the largest intact temperate rainforest remaining on Earth. He announced a transition away from further logging of Tongass old growth, with the Forest Service rapidly implementing this change. We helped found theSustainable Southeast Partnership,a diverse network of organizations and individuals working together to reach cultural, ecological and economic prosperity. 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.. At nearly. Mike Dunleavy said in hisState of the State address in January. The agency asserts that young Tongass trees growing on old clear-cuts are not yet big enough to log. Anyway US President Donald Trump says yes to the logging of Alaska's Tongass forest. We're not ready to lose more of our home right now.. The rule has long prohibited development on 9.2 million acres of inventoried roadless areas in the Tongass. A New Vision for a Sustainable Future in Southeast Alaska. There are still Alaska Native elders that talk about these boarding schools, Anderson says. 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. 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. But its a vital one. The Tongass National Forest is the largest national forest in the United States, spanning 17 million acres in Southeast Alaska. In Alaska, salmon are also a keystone species, meaning that many other species in the ecosystem depend on them. We may have detected a typo. 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. 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. 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. Due to this, the action prevented the building and creating of brand new roads on the areas of US national forests. Trees help soil keep in water & nutrients. In late October, President Trump announced plans to open up more than half of Alaskas 17 million acre Tongass National Forest to logging and other forms of development, downgrading safeguards that had protected it for nearly two decades. The forest is primarily made up of western red cedar, sitka spruce, and western hemlock. Could Alaska help lessen international dependence on Russianoil? conservation officers in August One of the world's largest intact temperate rainforests and the largest natural forest in the U.S. is now open for deforestation. 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. Mostly, our federally managed national forests have made that change over the past 25 years. While your ship is docked in Ketchikan, kayak around Eagle Island, part of Tongass National Forest, on this 3.5-hour guided shore excursion. 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. 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. Situated in the southeast corner of Alaska, the 17 million-acre temperate rainforest is unparalleled in its natural beauty and abundant wildlife. Emerald Edge the largest intact temperate rainforest remaining on Earth. ? Charitable Solicitation Disclosures 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 Forest Service went years with no visible progress on the transition, while approving continued clear-cutting of Americas last great rainforest. Global sites represent either regional branches of The Nature Conservancy or local affiliates of The Nature Conservancy that are separate entities. 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. 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. He has become a powerful voice at home and abroad for doing everything possible to cut emissions. Over 400 species of land & an aquatic species will lose their homes. 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. We need the Tongass National Forest to combat climate change and the only way to preserve it is to reinstate the Roadless Rule. Mobile Terms & Conditions It also teems with extraordinary wildlife, including bears, eagles, wolves and salmon. Soil will become less most & more dry with fewer trees. More than 500 miles long and 100 miles wide, it encompasses 80 percent all the land in Alaska's Panhandle, extending from . The rule, dating to 2001, has long been a focus of litigation. Desert people are just different; they were born tosurvive. Its Americas last climate sanctuary.. 1.) 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. Old-growth forests of yellow cedar and red cedar, Sitka spruce and Western hemlock stand like wild cathedrals. The forest was named for a Tlingit Indian group. Rivers run wild with salmon and trout, and tourists flock to miles of sandy shoreline and misty fjords. 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. These are everyday experiences in the Tongass National Forest. 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. 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. Radioactive waste sickened his community. No, I'm not making that up. 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. By Juliet Eilperin. 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. Sprawling across southeast Alaska, the landscape boasts high populations of bears, wolves, and bald eagles. 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. 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. "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. Temperate rainforests Service Alaska region, USDA, Flickr and rare flora and fauna including talus,... 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