From the American Salmon Forest Team via email this week –
This week, the first meeting of a Citizen Advisory Committee was held to re-think the “Roadless Rule” in the Tongass. With no outdoor or tourism industry representatives included on the committee, we must take it upon ourselves in our comment submission to ensure our perspectives are heard, and watersheds critical to fish remain conserved.
The visitor industry is the fastest growing sector of Southeast Alaska’s economy and currently employees more than 17% of the region’s population and is Alaska’s second largest private sector employer. Like the fishing industry, tourism depends on wild, pristine places for its viability. Roadless areas, like the Tongass 77 watersheds, form the backbone of our region’s economic future.
The U.S. Forest Service has stated that public comments will weigh heavily in the decision-making process. With just a minute of your time, you can have a dramatic impact. Comments should be unique and place-based.
We’ve provided a basic outline to follow below:
State your position. Something like: “I support conserving roadless areas in the Tongass National Forest, especially the Tongass 77 areas.”
Tell them why you care: If you can, add specific Tongass 77 streams or watersheds you’ve fished, hunted or recreated in and why they’re important to you.?
Support other roadless issues. Here is some potential language you could use or edit:Alaska must move beyond unsustainable development and old growth logging. Roadless areas on the Tongass are far more important to Alaska for their salmon and wildlife habitat and recreation values than the heavily-subsidized logging industry that creates less than 1% of jobs to our region.
We need to retain the protections we’ve gained in the Tongass, including for the Tongass 77. These watersheds support our sport and commercial fisheries and tourism industries which combined are responsible for over 25% of jobs and over $2 billion in economic contribution to our regional economy annually.
With considerable public support, we just finalized a new, widely-supported forest plan. Why waste money and time on an issue that has already been settled?
Submit your comments here BEFORE 15 October. Git ‘er done.
Image via American Salmon Forest.
