Today, about 100 conservation groups sent a letter to Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue opposing the State of Alaska's petition for rulemaking to exempt the Tongass National Forest in Alaska from the 2001 Roadless Area Conservation Rule (the Roadless Rule).
Defenders of Wildlife Director of Federal Lands, Peter Nelson, issued the following statement:
“Alaska's controversial petition to exempt the Tongass National Forest, our largest temperate rainforest, from the Roadless Rule condemns this vital landscape and the wildlife within. Rather than pushing for taxpayer subsidized roadbuilding to clear-cut priceless ancient forests, the State of Alaska should focus on restoring the Tongass’s watersheds and salmon runs that form the backbone of the region’s economy.
“Accepting this attack on the Roadless Rule will certainly lead to protracted and costly controversy while setting a dangerous precedent for undermining popular protections for national forests, wildlife and watersheds across the country.”
For nearly 80 years, Defenders of Wildlife has worked to protect and restore America’s wildlife at risk of extinction, advancing a vision of a future in which wildlife thrives, sustained by broad public support and a resilient network of healthy lands and waters. With a network of more than 2 million supporters, Defenders is an advocate for innovative solutions to safeguard wildlife for generations to come. To learn more, please visit https://defenders.org/newsroom or follow us on Instagram @defendersofwildlife.
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