Report: Federal funds ended up in timber industry hands for use in "roadless" forest rule-making

WASHINGTON - Findings of an independent investigation into the handling of federal dollars granted to the state of Alaska for use in the roadless rulemaking process revealed the funds ended up in the hands of a logging advocacy association. This is yet another example of a flawed process that ended with a flawed result. The Wilderness Society encourages the incoming Biden administration to reverse the roadless rule decision in Alaska and once again protect the Tongass National Forest’s 9 million acres of old-growth forest.

Statement from Senior Resource Analyst Mike Anderson:

“The timber industry has received hundreds of thousands of taxpayer dollars to help them engage in the roadless process. Yet, the Forest Service has ignored concerns raised by local tribes, including the expedited pace of the process despite a global pandemic. We urge the incoming Biden administration to reverse the decision on the Tongass National Forest. This rulemaking process has been flawed from the start, and it led to a flawed outcome. We commend Sen. Stabenow and Rep. Grijalva for asking tough questions about this biased and unfair process. It’s clear that the only fair path forward is to reinstate the roadless rule on the Tongass National Forest.”    

The Forest Service’s Roadless Area Conservation Rule (Roadless Rule) protects 58.5 million acres of wild, undeveloped national forests across the country, which included more than 9 million acres on the Tongass National Forest in Alaska until recently when the Trump administration, in an arbitrary decision, rolled back those protections. The Tongass is one of the largest remaining temperate rainforests in the world and is a champion at storing carbon. Its old-growth trees store more carbon than any other national forest in the country.

CONTACT:

Chelsi Moy, Communications Manager, The Wilderness Society, (406) 240-3013, chelsi_moy@tws.org

The Wilderness Society, founded in 1935, is the leading conservation organization working to protect wilderness and inspire Americans to care for our wild places. With more than one million members and supporters, The Wilderness Society has led the effort to permanently protect 109 million acres of wilderness and to ensure sound management of our shared national lands. www.wilderness.org