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[–]SoCo 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

This article's portrayal isn't very accurate and misses a lot of context. It also blames Trump for some click bait reason.

We are talking about the 9.37 million acre Alaskan pan handle out of the ~50 million acre road-less rule that the Federal Government imposed on several states, despite many very long running protests. The Tongass National Forrest is a pristine (temperate) rainforest with ecological importance and needs protected, but the carelessly broad banning of use of the land against local protest isn't required to accomplish this.

The Alaskan state government has pretty much always opposed the imposing rule. They've claimed it hurts tourism by preventing people from getting to these wilderness areas, prevents their forestry departments from properly maintaining the forest, which risks wildfires and infestations of invasive insect or plant species, and needlessly prevents industry, which could go through the forest without large impact. The inability to connect electrical power through the forest to the neighboring areas has also cost some communities enormous amounts. They weren't the only state opposing the rule, several other states the rules impact opposed it endlessly as well.

It wasn't just politicians in suits who opposed the rule, though. We have a great record of who supported it and opposed it,, as well as what their concerns were, through the many drawn out request for public comment efforts of preparing for the rule. The law requires public input for the use of public land and many concerns were raised, as well as an outpouring of support based on dumbed down articles like this one.

Many locals who lived there opposed it, for the impact it would have on their daily lives. Despite what these shifty propaganda articles say when only cherry picking quotes from one side to deceptively frame the situation, many of the native tribal leaders imposed it as well. They feared impact on their daily lives and erasing their economic opportunities. At the time of the rule, many tribal leaders were against it, while others were in support. Many argued it encroached treaties and their rights to movement. ANILCA laws give natives and landowner a right of access across national forests and lands.

From just after the very start in ~1999 the idea was already criticized and the Tongass forest was consider for exemption, starting with a 5 year review for just this area. This was partly procedural as the National Environmental Policy Act requires "balancing population needs and resource use." They also had a responsibility to give a transition period for those who were being displaced or losing their livelihood due to the new rule.

This rule also ran cross to several federal and local laws. Eventually most were smoothed out, but many required re-interpretation to do it. Laws like the Organic Act, the Multiple-Use Sustained-Yield Act, and National Forest Management Act required the use be made public, be allowed for many public things, including resources like mining and logging, and to be able to maintain the forest. Several environmental agencies had concerns that if the forest wasn't managed property, by doing prescribed logging, clearing brush, and "raking" (bulldozers with rake attachments), that those serious concerns of wildfires and infestations would be serious, similar to the exact thing that happened to California after years of neglecting their legally required forestry maintenance (combined with over use of river waters, irresponsible overbuilding, and other factors).

There were over 600 public hearings, 1.6 million public comments, rule amendments/adjustments, lawsuits, moratoriums, appeals, Supreme Court requests, and delays over the swathing rules from many states, people, and industries impacted, as well as concern that the rule may have a negative impact on the environment without many provisions.....that the 1998 propose rule wasn't really settled until 2011....except for Alaska's Tongass area, who's state continued to protest and litigate the imposing rule.

At one point Tongass got an exemption to the rule ordered by the courts, then it was taken way, appealed, then taken away again. Tongass' place in the rule wasn't really worked out until 2016. The DC District court, a divided panel of the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals and a split vote, then the US court of appeals, the Supreme Court denying to hear it, and the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, eventually all end Alaska's last state legal challenges, after another appeal.

The USDA, who wanted Tongass exempted since 2000 and the Forest Service worked their legally required procedures, which are required to be based on science and laws, and presented a plan to work of a compromised special rule for the state of Alaska, to ease its impact. The started with announcements and a an Environmental Impact Study.

Since the logging industry no longer made economic sens for a long time, and isn't a reason for concern, despite this stupid article.....in 2017 the Forestry Department stated that 53 projects within the roadless area in Alaska had been submitted and approved, including 34 mining projects, 10 hydropower or utility connection projects, and a geothermal lease.

There's really no connection to Trump having anything to do with this 20 year long battle. The only connection Trump had to it, aside from the legal hearings finishing during his term, is a super biased activist article by the always questionable shit-birds at the Washington Post, who cited 3 secret sources "briefed on the issue"....by, as they explain, claimed to be told about a 3rd hand conversation, by state governors, who somehow knew form another conversation. WaPo and NYT seem to play hot potato with being the fake source.

more source, strait from the activists who spearheaded it all: https://earthjustice.org/features/timeline-of-the-roadless-rule