An organization of 57 tribal governments across the Northwest says the Roadless Rule should stay in place in Alaska.
The Affiliated Tribes of Northwest Indians passed the resolution at its annual conference last week in Suquamish, Washington, at the request of the Organized Village of Kake.
Right now, the U.S. Department of Agriculture is considering changes to the federal Roadless Rule. It could open up new areas to road building and logging in the Tongass National Forest.
Tribal governments in Southeast Alaska, such as the one in Kake, are opposed to that. They’re concerned about the impact to traditional food sources, which rural communities rely on.
The USDA is expected to release a draft decision about the Roadless Rule sometime this fall.
