Trump Administration proposes opening Alaska’s Tongass National Forest for logging

The Trump Administration is proposing opening up Alaska’s Tongass National Forest for logging. The proposal was announced last week and would open the door for timber harvesting on 165,000 acres of old-growth forest. The Tongass National Forest is the largest intact temperate rainforest in North America and conservation groups say that removing protections would hurt the region’s fishing and tourism industries. Temperate rainforests sequester huge amounts of carbon dioxide, and logging there would worsen the effects of climate change. Tribal governments in Alaska also oppose lifting protections against logging and have considered filing a lawsuit against the forest service.

Trump Administration proposes opening Alaska’s Tongass National Forest for logging