On October 29, 2020, the U.S. Department of Agriculture published its final rule exempting the Tongass National Forest from the 2001 Roadless Area Conservation Rule (“Roadless Rule”). The State of Alaska petitioned the Forest Service to remove Roadless Rule protections in order to increase the amount of acreage available for old-growth clearcutting by two federal timber sale purchasers. The two timber companies would like access to currently roadless areas so that they can clearcut some of the remaining stands of high volume old-growth forest from the southern portion of the Tongass National Forest.
In order to supply these two companies, the Tongass National Forest timber sale program incurs a substantial net loss each year, as shown in a September 2020 report by Taxpayers for Common Sense. Over the last five years, timber sale revenues averaged $590,000 per year. In 2019, the timber sale program generated a loss of $16.1 million. Over the past 40 years, the Tongass National Forest lost $1.7 billion, or $44 million per year on average. Planned timber sale volumes could cost taxpayers nearly $190 million over the next five years. These costs combined with the agency’s raw log export economic model have caused concern that current forest management primarily benefits Chinese economic interests rather than that of local businesses.
The Department of Agriculture’s decision removes Roadless Rule protections for over 9 million inventoried roadless acres on the Tongass National Forest. ALFA’s comments on the Roadless Rule DEIS explained that the exemption the Tongass National Forest from the 2001 will be a disaster for Southeast Alaska because the Roadless Rule currently protects many salmon producing watersheds from roadbuilding and industrial scale clearcutting. The no-action alternative was the only option for sensibly and sustainably saving some salmon for subsistence, sport and commercial fishing. Thousands of fishermen, southeast Alaska residents and other Americans provided individual comments on the Roadless Rule. Nearly all commenters requested that the Forest Service take no action on the rulemaking and leave the Roadless Rule in place in the region.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture ignored public comments and expert comments from fisheries scientists who identified the physical and biological diversities of southeast Alaska’s salmon producing watersheds as “globally unique,” warranting comprehensive protections that assure no net loss of watershed condition. The scientists explained that timber extraction activities, along with climate change, pose the greatest risks to salmon productivity. Also, 21st century salmon science research shows that sustainable populations rely on a “portfolio effect” which requires available habitat across multiple areas and ecosystems to ensure diversity and buffer against ongoing shifts in watershed productivity. In addition, new and effective, science-based standards are necessary to protect salmon in areas zoned for timber uses.
The harvests of “forest fish” - pinks, sockeye and coho salmon during the summer of 2020 were some of the lowest in Southeast Alaska since Alaska became a state in 1959 and reflect recent trends that suggest serious population declines. Long-term drought conditions and marine “heat waves” are likely contributors to the run failure. There is increasing concern throughout Alaska that freshwater habitat conditions, particularly summer stream temperatures and low flows, may have a more significant role that initially thought in contributing to declines of Southeast Alaska salmon and salmon declines throughout the entire state, warranting more precautionary management of freshwater habitat. However, the Forest Service believes that the warming climate will not affect salmon populations in Southeast Alaska for at least another two decades – in 2040.
There are no further opportunities for the public to comment on or object to the decision. Many of ALFA’s members participate in multiple fisheries, including salmon fisheries that rely on Southeast Alaska’s forest fish. During the second week of October, ALFA petitioned the Department of Agriculture to initiate a “Salmon Conservation Rulemaking” that requests a scientific review of existing standards for fish habitat and ALFA will continue to press the agency to correct existing deficiencies with the current Forest Plan.