Seaweed, cockles, berries, and salmon from the forest are examples of the foods that help sustatin Native life and traditions. What the artists do benefit from, however, are the tourist dollars from visitors who come to the Tongass for the views and stay to learn about the forests history and the people who live there. Michael PEnn Found in association with barren alpine tundra (above the tree line), lowland muskeg, and scores of tidewater glaciers that descend to the coastline, the forest is dominated by towering species of western hemlock and Sitka spruce. The islands and mainland create 11,000 miles of shoreline where regal mountains rise from tidewater to overlook a mostly undeveloped and isolated landscape. July 16, 2021 In a huge victory for the climate, the Biden administration is ending large-scale old-growth logging in Alaska's Tongass National Forest. Much of their remaining 75 to 100 million acres is found there and in Chile. They will always remember that number because it was the first time a new identity had been placed upon them. But due to the novel coronavirus pandemic, Ketchikans cruise ship ports suffered a massive economic blow; in 2020, traffic went from 600 scheduled ports of call to zero. A humpback whale breaches in Seymour Canal with a backdrop of Mt. When these forests are logged, the carbon that they had been storing is released back into the atmosphere. Southeast Alaska is a fantastic place to go birding. Best Hikes Near Tongass National Forest Outdoor activities, including cold-water cruising, made the area around the forest a tourism hotspot. Much of the Tongass National Forest looks as it has for centuries. Weve always been coastal dwelling people, and the salmon are our food source, and it relies on a well-balanced old-growth forest. Your support helps secure a future for birds at risk. The Tongass has over 150 rustic cabins scattered at remote lakes and seaside locations from Humpback Lake south of Ketchikan to Situk Lake north of Yakutat. connected to the .gov website. https://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/r10/about-region/overview/?cid=fsbdev2_038671, Total non-forested acres = 7.1 million (42% include rock and ice), Total forested acres = 9.7 million - (58%). Marine mammals are also abundant. In areas protected from the wind, usually on the north side of ridges, trees may live to be more than 500 years old. Receive emails about upcoming NOVA programs and related content, as well as featured reporting about current events through a science lens. Its approximately 26,560 square miles (68,790 square km), composed of (volcanic) mountainous offshore archipelagos and rugged fjord-indented coastline, include some of the . Travelers can visit now, and many tour operators have resumed operations, according to Mackey. The primary goal of many educators during this era of compulsory boarding schools was to assimilate Native peoples into white American culture, the study noted. Biden administration reinstates roadless rule for Alaska's Tongass Nature really is good medicine. Climb just 1,600 feet, and the climate is too harsh for trees. The Mendenhall Glacier Visitor Center in Juneau is among the top three tourist attractions in the state. Forest Service Remove Roadless Protections for Tongass National Forest, Using the Southeast Alaska Birding Trail Website. They breathe in carbon dioxide and release oxygen, which helps counter greenhouse gas emissions and shrinks our carbon footprint. In the Tongass National Forest these roadless areas provide nesting trees for birds like the Queen Charlotte Goshawk and Red-breasted Sapsucker. Although 96% of the public support keeping the Roadless Rule in the Tongass, the government is working to remove this protection, putting people, birds, and the planet at risk. An official website of the The move by the Trump administration would overturn the Roadless Rule Act, which safeguarded the forest against industrial clear-cut logging and road building on national forest lands since it was passed in 2001 by the Clinton administration, with widespread approval among conservationists and scientists. We're not ready to lose more of our home right now.. Our traditional medicines are from here. Some old-growth trees in the Tongass are hundreds of years old, so it would take a very long time for the forest to regain such a huge amount of carbon, Law explained. In a statement last week, Alaska Senator Lisa Murkowski, a Republican, argued the Biden Administration's decision to reinstate protections turned "the Tongass into a political football", and would hinder local economic development. United States. The remaining 22% is in land allocations that could allow development activities such as timber management. Bordered by the Pacific Ocean on the west and the Coast Mountains and Canadian border on the east, the lush greenery of the Tongass National Forest spans 500 miles of Southeast Alaska. The 17-million acre Tongass is the largest national forest in the United States. Fax:907-228-6215, https://www.fs.usda.gov/main/tongass/about-forest. Legal Notices Privacy Policy Contact National Audubon, Type in your search and hit Enter on desktop or hit Go on mobile device. Earth just set a heat record. It's hard to fathom, but this equates to over 26,000 square miles of forest. A lake highlights this trail, along with a few waterfalls and wildlife viewing opportunities. Its no surprise to us [about the rollback] because we have a long history of dealing with the federal government coming in to check their box to say they talked to the tribes, and then they do what theyre going to do, Jackson continues. WASHINGTON, July 15, 2021 The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced today a new Southeast Alaska Sustainability Strategy to help support a diverse economy, enhance community resilience, and conserve natural resources. On October 29, the U.S. Forest Service opened more than nine million acres of Alaskas Tongass National Forest to loggers. What does this mean for climate change?). Bald Eagle. The Mendenhall Glacier, the 32-mile Cross Admiralty Canoe Paddling Route, and the Admiralty Island National Monument, which the Tlingit people called Kootznoowoo (or the Fortress of the Bears), offer majestic views. Ecotourism is one of the faster growing portions of the tourism industry. The Forest Service strives to find the right balance, so that people may continue to find both inspiration and a way of life in this vast, unparalleled place. They will go after yellow cedar and spruce because thats where the money is.. It stretches from the southern tip of Prince of Wales Island 500 miles north to the Hubbard Glacier just north of Yakutat. The water routes are the gateway for Alaska visitors. Tongass National Forest | Alaska Wilderness League Photo: Howard Arndt/Audubon Photography Awards, Help power unparalleled conservation work for birds across the Americas, Stay informed on important news about birds and their habitats, Receive reduced or free admission across our network of centers and sanctuaries, Great Egret. Your email address will not be published. We want to preserve everything around us and then at the same time, theres economic development, White says. Major funding for NOVA is provided by the NOVA Science Trust, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, and PBS viewers. Maps: Visit the National Forest Map Store to see what maps are available for this Forest and others you may want to visit. In spring, a eulachon (sea-run smelt) run lures hundreds of eagles to the Stikine River Delta near Wrangell. Learn more from members of your communitiesthroughout the region who rely on public lands to sustain their businesses, heat their homes, and provide for their families. TONGASS WATERS The many Tongass glaciers that can be seen today are remnants of the last ice age during the Pleistocene Epoch. Jamie Harrelson/Audubon Photography Awards. If you enjoy hiking through beautiful pines, taking a peek at bears, and catching a glimpse of soaring eagles, youll never want to leave. People might be right next to them and dont even see them, one expert says. Alaska Regional Office When logging companies go in and clear-cut these massive trees on a steep slope, there is a huge amount of sediment runoff because of how much it rains in Southeast Alaska, sometimes as much as 12-and-a-half feet annually, which can cause landslides and choke salmon streams, Berner explains. Decker, owner of the Crazy Wolf Studio in Ketchikan and a master carver of original bentwood boxes, drums, and traditional dance paddles, says supporting Native peoples art is a powerful way to protect the Tongass. Membership benefits include one year of Audubon magazineand the latest on birds and their habitats. Tongass: Birding the World's Largest Temperate Rainforest To us as [Tlingit] people, this forest is important. Water falls as rain and snow and feeds the temperate rain forest. Share sensitive information only The Tongass National Forest in Southeast Alaska is our nation's largest national forest, nearly 17 million acres in size. "I don't want to have my grandchildren, their grandchildren, to have to fight for that too. For the Indigenous communities that call the forest homeit is the historical homeland of the Haida, Tsimshian, and Tlingit peoplesthe rollback not only threatens the forest, it endangers their way of life and the wildlife habitats that make southeast Alaska so attractive to millions of tourists who visit each year, boosting the local economy. Please be respectful of copyright. Every time you pay federal taxes, youre contributing to these lands. Release Date: Nov 26, 2019. They protect a network of salmon-rich rivers and streams that are an important resource for local communities. A lot of the touristy shops sell items that come from China and other places, but local galleries that buy from local artists are important, he says. The Organized Village of Kake is not interested in short-term profit, exploiting what we have to create gains for the next 10 to 50 years, Jackson says. THINGS TO DO The Tongass contains 19 wilderness areas, including the 545-sq-mile Russell Fjord Wilderness, as well as Admiralty Island National Monument and Misty Fjords National Monument. Our traditional medicines are from here. Heres how to do it responsibly, Related: epic photos of Alaskas Gates of the Arctic, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. Our Stories April 20, 2021 Defending America's Climate Forest Earthjustice is defending the Tongass National Forest, a key weapon in fighting climate change Wanda Culp and her colleagues at WECAN are fighting to defend the Tongass from logging. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. Lichens adorn the trees with a mosaic of colors and textures, moss and ferns carpet the forest floor in lush green hues, and crystal-clear streams carve their way toward the Pacific Ocean. Only Hyder, Haines, and Skagway are connected to the North American road system. Region 10 - Regional Overview Follow him on, Rare octopus nursery found, teeming with surprises, Animals trapped in war zones find a second chance here, How extreme heat affects our petsand how to help them, This place may have the highest density of great white sharks, Controversial oil drilling paused in Namibian wilderness, Dolphin moms use 'baby talk' with their calves, Earth's shifting magnetic poles don't cause climate change, This ancient society tried to stop El Niowith child sacrifice. They accumulate and store more organic matter than any other forest type (including tropical rain forests)s much as 1,000-2,000 metric tons of wood, foliage, leaf litter, moss, other living plants, and organic soil per acre. The Tongass National Forest, at nearly 17 million acres, is twice the size of Maryland. We will be working to meet with his transition team to discuss these matters and make sure he follows through, Jackson says. The Tongass National Forest of Southeast Alaska is home to part of the Emerald Edge the largest intact temperate rainforest remaining on Earth. Audubon Alaskas collaborative approach includes all key stakeholders: conservation groups, the timber industry, commercial fishing groups, tourism officials, Alaskas Native people, southeastern Alaska communities, the U.S. Forest Service, and Alaska Fish and Game. The rain forest ecosystem does not end at the high tide line, rather, nutrients are cycled throughout the system. The Tongass is home to some of the last old-growth trees in the U.S. A road winds through an area of clear-cut forest. Most people know little about either [topic].. A 2018 Ketchikan tourism and economics report estimated nearly one million out-of-staters visited Ketchikan in summer 2017. A fight in Alaska's Tongass National Forest to keep old-growth trees to Your support will power our science, education, advocacy and on-the-ground conservation efforts. He barely remembered his Native name, but he said he would never forget the number that they gave him, Anderson says. Let us send you the latest in bird and conservation news. At long last, the American buffalo has come home. 648 Mission Street, Suite 110 907.225.3101 672 were here. The first nations include the Tlingit, Haida, and Tsimshian. Visiting Tongass National Forest Wildlife viewing and hiking along the nearly 700 miles of trails affords local conservationists a way to educate visitors about old-growth trees and their impact on the forest. The National Audubon Society protects birds and the places they need, today and tomorrow, throughout the Americas using science, advocacy, education, and on-the-ground conservation.
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