In 2001, the U.S. Department of Agriculture issued a nationwide regulation on the management of roadless areas in national forests across the country. The “Roadless Rule,” as it’s known, generally prohibits timber harvesting and road construction in roadless areas.The rule affects 58.5 million acres of land across the country, based on information provided by the Forest Service. According to Nicole Grewe, with the Forest Service, about 55 percent of the Tongass National Forest is designated as roadless area. The Roadless Rule has been a point of debate in Southeast Alaska for many years, some people seeing it as important for conservation, and others seeing it as a hindrance to economic development.
On Sept. 25 a public meeting was held to get community input on changing the rules.
Grewe went into a little more history of the Roadless Rule in Alaska. In 2003, the USDA exempted the Tongass National Forest from the rule, but in 2011 this exemption was taken away in the federal district court. The state has petitioned the USDA, however, in an effort to provide for rural economic development for communities in the Tongass. With a letter of intent sent on Aug. 30 of this year, the Forest Service is now tasked with looking into the feasibility of a state-specific Roadless Rule. There is precedent for this, Grewe said, as Idaho and Colorado formed their own state-specific rules in 2008 and 2012, respectively.
“Over the past decade there has been mounting criticism in certain states. Some rural communities, policymakers, and land managers question whether a ‘one size fits all’ approach to managing Forest Service roadless areas is appropriate for all states and all national forests,” Grewe said. “Western states in particular are asking about whether the management of roadless areas could be done in a different way that better supports rural communities while also conserving roadless areas for the future.”
This initial look at state-specific rules have a few limitations, she added. The main area of focus is the Tongass National Forest. The Chugach National Forest is currently outside the area of focus. Any proposed “Alaska Roadless Rule” would also not be able to authorize any ground disturbing activities, she said. Grewe added that many Alaskan organizations have come on board for this project such as tribal governments and the state government.
Tim Dabney, with the Alaska Department of Natural Resources, also spoke about a citizen’s committee that would help create potential Roadless Rules for Alaska. This committee will consist of about 13 people and will represent the varied interests of Southeast Alaskans, from tribal organizations, the fishing industry, timber and mining, tourism, state and local governments, and other interests. This committee will review public comments and come up with options for an Alaska Roadless Rule.
Grewe said that the proposed rule and a draft environmental impact statement will be prepared by the summer of 2019, and will be finalized by the summer of 2020. After this, the secretary of the USDA will make a final decision on the Roadless Rule.
“Basically, in summary here, the citizens’ advisory committee will be reviewing and discussing relevant information and provide the state with up to three options for a state-specific Roadless Rule,” Dabney said.
After the presentation, a question and answer session was held. Many of the questions revolved around how the Roadless Rule affected economic growth and how changes to the rule would change environmental protections for the Tongass, if any. The comment time for the initial scoping period of this project closes on Oct. 15. To leave comments, go online at http://www.regulations.gov orwww.fs.usda.gov/project/?project=54511. Comments can also be turned in by mail at Alaska Roadless Rule, P.O. Box 21628, Juneau, AK 99802. For more information visit the Forest Service website.
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