The Tongass National Forest is a biological treasure - and at 17 million acres this is our largest National Forest within the world's largest tract of temperate rainforest. The Tongass is home to a diverse array of species - including black and brown bears, wolves, wild salmon, Bald Eagles, and other treasures that have disappeared from many other parts of the country.

The forests' scenic vistas, wildlife, and fisheries draw visitors from all over the world and create thousands of jobs for the region. Meanwhile, the Forest Service has continued to focus on managing the forest primarily for timber and has been criticized for failing to balance other community uses and values.

The Tongass timber program has been a perennial money-loser, and U.S. taxpayers have been forced to bear the burden of an inflated timber program and unnecessary, expensive new logging roads that threaten to undermine commercial fishing and recreation.

Right now, the Forest Service is drafting a management plan that will dictate how the Tongass is to be managed over the long term - and they've proposed an extremely high level of logging in some of its most vulnerable areas! 

The American public has repeatedly voiced support for the protection of America's roadless areas, and now the time has come again to stand up for our most rare - and most important - natural areas. Please write to the Forest Service today demanding protection of this American treasure.