Logging in the Tongass. Logging in the Tongass National Forest in Alaska

Logging in the Tongass National Forest in Alaska
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Logging in the Tongass National Forest in Alaska
Southeast Alaska is home to the largest unfragmented temperate rainforest in the United States (U.S.) occupying 16.7 million acres of land space. This figure illustrates that the entire state of West Virginia pales in size. The largest intact forest serves a major function in establishing a better ecological balance. It achieves this feat by storing 8% of the total carbon in the U.S. forests. Experts indicate that this level is equivalent to half of the country’s carbon emissions in 2017(Reynolds, 2020). In this regard, the forest remains to be an irreplaceable ecological cog that deserves protection at all costs. Besides, Southeast Alaskans consider it of cultural and economic value. It is home to Tsimshian, Haida, and Tlingit nations. In the face of the current pandemic where food transportation from Lower 48 has been curtailed, they are to forage, fish, and hunt in the forest. Also, there is the case for tourism and recreation that Tongass offers and creates 18% of employment opportunities in Southeast Alaska.
The Roadless Rule prohibits the construction of infrastructure and more so roads in areas documented under the National Forest System lands. It was enacted in 2001 and has been quite active until the recent past when Donald Trump proposed an exemption to it. The lack of roads in these areas implies that the forest is protected from lumbering firms that would endear to harvest the trees for business. To this end, the president’s move has received significant backlash from the public, which in most circumstances has been ignored. Thus, interesting times are about to ensue considering the ever-growing rage among the people.
On the other hand, the federal government is fine implementing the plan claiming that by doing this, they will be creating manufacturing jobs to the people. Eventually, the state’s economy will attain some heightened level of stability (...