Roadless Rule attacks are back

Written by Nathan Newcomer

January 21, 2025

Well, that was fast. The Trump administration is making moves to repeal Roadless Rule protections for the Tongass with an executive order signed on January 20. 

We knew it was coming — between the Project 2025 manifesto and Governor Dunleavy’s rollback wishlist it could hardly be more explicitly threatened. 

The good news is we’re prepared. We’ve done this before. We’ve been rallying, commenting, defending protections in court and doing everything within our means for decades now to support the protections we know Southeast Alaskans want and deserve. 

Under the first Trump administration, you all showed up. You joined us for events. You submitted comments. You made it clear what our priorities are. When we filed a Freedom of Information Act request, we saw that 96 percent of comments to the US Forest Service were in favor of maintaining Roadless protections for the Tongass. 

We all know it’s billionaire businessmen who have the ear of the president and we may hear that unfettered development is what the American people want, but we know what you want. We know you want towering old-growth trees, healthy habitats for salmon and deer, carbon sequestering superpowers intact to combat climate change and access to recreation, hunting, fishing, foraging and the less tangible benefits of connecting with nature. 

Video: Voices of Southeast Alaskans who value old growth protections.

We’ll keep fighting for the Tongass — it’s why we were founded in 1970, after all —and we hope you’ll keep fighting alongside us. We’ve done it before and we’ll do it again — and again and again, as long as it’s under threat.

How can you join the fight? Take action when opportunities arise — we’ll let you know what you can do and make it as straightforward as possible. Make sure you’re subscribed to email updates and follow us on social media to receive action alerts. If you can, consider supporting SEACC with a donation to ensure we have the capacity to keep up with everything to come.

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