Biden crushes Southeast with end to large-scale logging, but trees can be still cut for totem poles, at least

By
Suzanne Downing
-
30

The Biden Administration has reversed yet another Trump-era decision, and will prohibit large-scale, old-growth timber sales from the Tongass National Forest in Alaska.

The move was not unexpected, as the Administration had signaled this spring that the Tongass will be managed for recreation and to be a hedge against climate change.

Biden is rolling back to a “roadless rule” that came out of the Clinton White House during Bill Clinton’s final weeks in office. It greatly limits any new logging roads that would be built in the Tongass, and also restricts trees from being harvested in more than half of the forest. President Donald Trump had reversed that rule three months before leaving office.

Notice of the impending change came with a regulatory notice June 11.

The Biden Administration will still allow small, uneconomic timber sales, and will allow Natives to cut tree to use for totem poles or other cultural or artistic uses, according to the Forest Service, opening up more area for timber sales.

Gov. Mike Dunleavy, who first came to Alaska to work at a logging camp in Southeast, said it was a continuation of the “America Last” agenda of the Biden Administration.

“The Forest Service has already conducted a thorough analysis and determined that an Alaska-specific exemption from a one-size-fits-all roadless rule was fully justified,” said Dunleavy said. “Narrow election results and political donations from environmental groups do not justify this federal agency’s policy flip-flop.”

“Much like XL Pipeline workers and others, American and Alaskan families just want the chance to work and support their families. Our state’s southeast communities need fundamental access, like roads, and the economic and resource development opportunities roads provide. Every Alaskan deserves the chance to work. We have the resources. We just need the opportunity,” Dunleavy said. “Let me be clear, where the State of Alaska can partner with the federal government on efforts that make the lives of Alaskans better, Washington D.C. will not find a more willing partner. But where there will be disagreement, my administration will make the feeling of this state known.”

Natural Resources Commissioner Corri Feige said the Tongass was created for multiple uses.

“Sustainable forest stewardship both protects the ecological values of our forests and supports local economies by providing stable, good-paying jobs,” she said. “Arbitrary reimposition of a roadless rule will deprive Southeast Alaska communities of a diversified economy that includes working forests as well as tourism and fishing.”

30 COMMENTS

  1. With all the constraints and attacks against Alaska’s economy and resources, it’s actually an “Alaska Closed” policy. The environmentalists will not be satisfied until there are only caretakers for the future Alaska National Park.

  2. Maybe it’s time to vote to leave the union? Declare war on the US, then they will pay us to not do so.

  4. Biden decided nothing. He is senile. Obama is pulling the puppet strings. Credit the Marxist on Chief.

  5. Jiden is insatiable in his desire to thwart Alaska’s need to manage it resources, which were pledged justification of economic viability for the Alaskan sustainable statehood economy.

    A leader of a hostile foreign country like Canada couldn’t be more hostile to one of the 50 states. This is more evidence the cancel culture is unreasonable in the extreme.

  7. Meanwhile, large scale deforestation of the Amazon basin continues unabated. You can actually see the deforestation from space. Only logging in America affects the climate, just like only American oil contributes to climate change. Biden and his handlers hate Americans, especially Alaskans as we’ve been in the crosshairs since day 1.

  8. And all the Governor can do for Alaska is cravenly roll over and show his yellow belly, as in canine behavior to the dominant dog?
    We saw this coming and were warned decades ago. Our congressional delegation ceded title in perpetuity to 60% of our lands to the feds in trade for an oil pipeline and an agreement for “future” access to oil and gas in the ANWR.
    How quickly our leadership forgets that the feds speak with a forked tongue.
    All the talk of multi use and best practices is hot air. The same mindset of land managers that oversee the destruction of the ecology of the western forests and the economic degradation of a healthy socio economic society that actually produces tangible and manufactured essential products from natural resources are firmly in control here.
    And to account for their asinine incompetence as managers they will deflect responsibility and blame climate change.
    It is becoming more apparent that the vast mineral, petroleum and renewable resources locked up in the Alaska “conservation” system are simply secured assets to pay back the massive debt owed to the CCP it cost us to transform America into serf status.
    When the notes are deemed due and called in, and our resources are looted using serf labor by our grandchildren by their “global” masters, there will be no more talk of conservation and “climate” change.

  9. If the Tongass were in fact to be managed as “a hedge against climate change” then clear cutting old growth trees and turning that wood into a long term carbon sink, in literal green building, while allowing new trees to capture and sequester even more carbon would be the best way to do so. Unfortunately Joe Biden, or more appropriately his handlers, do not actually believe in following science they believe in it only when it serves their purposes.

  13. Crush any chance at locals having work and being self sustainable… then beg cruise lines to come in and dump all their sh@& and employe army’s of seasonal out of state workers.

  14. I don’t understand why Alaska hasn’t sued the feral govt for their many breaches of the Alaska Statehood Compact.

  15. Mean tweets, gas under $2.00, and your feelings hurt…. OR ….
    .
    The destruction of our economy, installation of fear, massive inflation, locking out our natural resources, creation of more govt. teet suckers, and, and, and, …..
    .

    • Do you realize what high energy does for the state of Alaska? Let me give you a hint. Where’s my PFD?

  17. Bring back buggy whip manufacturing. There hasn’t been any “large-scale logging” in the Tongass for decades. And there shouldn’t be, either. Chop the trees and croak the fish, along with tourism and other superior uses of the forest. Does anything think cruise passengers travel to Alaska to witness clear cuts?

    • Joe,
      You could clear cut upwards of 75% of the entire Tongass and not impact the precious views provided to the sewage dumping factories knows as cruiseships. There is already a minimum 100′ setback to protect anadromous fish waters, cutting down trees isn’t what’s causing the current low numbers of salmon in SE…maybe it’s all the tourists and they should be banned for the sake of the fish?

  18. This headline is ridiculous — timber provides less than 1% of jobs in the Southeast economy. Hardly “crushing,” this move will actually benefit other productive and sustainable industries.

    • Corey, we get that you didn’t grow up in the Tongass as some of us did and when there was a diversified economy in Southeast. Thanks for your comment. – sd

      • Care to actual address his statement regarding the economy in SE, how timber contribute and your click bait headline?

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