The Alaska Forest Association and two of its members have taken legal action against the US Forest Service.
The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Alaska, seeks to compel the federal agency to comply with the Tongass Timber Reform Act’s mandate for timber sales, a move that could help revive the struggling timber industry in southeast Alaska.
“Federal law requires the Forest Service to sell enough timber every year to meet market demand,” said Frank Garrison, attorney with the Pacific Legal Foundation, which represents the plaintiffs that include Viking Lumber and Alcan Timber. “By refusing to meet that requirement, failing to follow through on its own 2016 Management Plan, and issuing informal guidance rather than following formal federal rulemaking procedures, the agency has violated federal law three times over.”
The dispute stems from the US Forest Service’s 2016 Management Plan, which outlined a gradual transition from selling old-growth timber to younger trees over a ten-year period. The plan was designed to ensure a stable supply of timber during the transition, gradually reducing old-growth sales while increasing the harvest of younger trees. However, the plaintiffs argue that the agency abandoned the plan, ceasing old-growth timber sales immediately and failing to provide sufficient young-growth timber as promised.
In 2021, the Biden Administration’s Forest Service further tightened restrictions by issuing a guidance document that formally ended old-growth timber sales altogether—without a formal rulemaking process or adequate replacement sales of young-growth timber. The Alaska Forest Association argues that these actions have devastated the local timber industry, which once supported more than 4,000 jobs but has now dwindled to only 300 positions.
Timber harvested in Alaska has long been used for various products, from household fences to Steinway pianos. The industry was once a cornerstone of many southeast Alaska communities, providing stable employment and economic security for thousands of families. The abrupt policy shifts, however, have left sawmills struggling, businesses shuttered, and local economies reeling.
“Federal agencies cannot decide by fiat to ignore the law and make up their own rules that harm businesses and workers,” Garrison emphasized. “The U.S. Forest Service’s failure to uphold its obligations under federal law is not just a bureaucratic oversight—it has real-world consequences for communities that depend on this industry.”
The lawsuit, Alaska Forest Association v. Rollins, aims to force the U.S. Forest Service to honor its legal obligations and restore timber sales that sustain the region’s industry. If successful, the case could set a precedent for holding federal agencies accountable when they fail to follow statutory requirements. The case was assigned by the chief judge Sharon Gleason to her caseload. Gleason has a reputation for siding with the government against businesses.
As the legal battle unfolds, Alaska’s dying timber industry and its supporters hope for a resolution that will allow the sector to rebuild, protect existing jobs, and ensure that sustainable forestry remains a viable part of the state’s economy.
