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July 31, 2015

‘Roadless Rule' reinstated for Tongass forest

  • Alaska officials say the rule sets aside so much land from timber harvest and development that the region's economy is likely to suffer.

    • JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — A divided federal appeals court on Wednesday affirmed a lower-court decision that reinstates prohibitions on road-building and timber harvests in roadless areas of the nation's largest national forest.

    The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, in a 6-5 decision, found the U.S. Department of Agriculture did not give a reasoned explanation for reversing course and creating a special exemption to the so-called “Roadless Rule” for the Tongass National Forest in southeast Alaska. The majority ruled the Tongass exemption invalid, handing a victory to the village of Kake and conservation groups in the long-running litigation. The U.S. Forest Service falls under the Department of Agriculture.


     
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