The Tongass, which cover's Alaska's "panhandle" (where Juneau is located), is America's only rain forest -- home to eagles, bears, wolves, wild salmon, and other wildlife that have either disappeared or become scarce elsewhere in the nation. Logging in the Tongass has put America in a quandary: the U.S. had no moral standing to lecture other nations about logging old-growth forests while we were logging our only rainforest.

Prime old-growth timber in the Tongass has been protected since January 2001 under the Roadless Area Conservation Rule promulgated by former President Clinton. The rule protects 58.5 million acres of pristine land in National Forests across the country. But last December, President Bush carved out an exception for the Tongass, paving the way for clearcut logging of over 300,000 acres. Associated road building to support the logging would affect more than 2.5 million acres.

Adding insult to injury, America's taxpayers would subsidize logging in the Tongass. In 2002, despite being propped up by $36 million in taxpayer money, the Tongass could support only 195 logging jobs.

"The Tongass National Forest is the largest intact temperate rainforest in the world and it is the only National Forest without Roadless protections," Cindy Shogan, executive director of the Alaska Wilderness League told BushGreenwatch. "Why should America's taxpayers foot the bill to clearcut this national treasure?"

Sometime this week, the House of Representatives will vote on the Appropriations bill for the Interior Department. At that time, two Congressmen, Steve Chabot (R-OH) and Rob Andrews (D-NJ) will offer an amendment to block funding for new logging roads in the Tongass this year. By passing the Chabot/Andrews amendment, Congress would stop a wasteful federal subsidy while protecting America's last remaining rainforest at the same time.

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TAKE ACTION
Contact your representative about Tongass National Forest through the Alaska Rainforest Campaign.

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SOURCES:
[1] Alaska Wilderness League web site.