“The Tongass National Forest is America’s Salmon Forest and one of the few places in the world where wild salmon and trout still thrive.
Scientists and stakeholders in the region have identified over 70 high-value salmon and trout watersheds within the Tongass that are important to the Southeast Alaska salmon success story. The rivers and streams that make up these areas are currently open for development activities that could significantly impact salmon and trout habitat. Because they are so important to salmon and trout, Trout Unlimited & the American Salmon Forest coalition are working to conserve these key areas and the economic gain they bring to both Alaska and the Pacific Northwest.
The United States Forest Service has just released a draft amendment to the forest’s Land Management Plan, which provides the blueprint for managing the forest. Our review of this plan tells us that the Forest Services has proposed changes that put fish and other renewable resource values on more even footing with timber for the first time and greatly improves management of fish and wildlife habitat in our largest national forest.
Now is a great opportunity to tell the Forest Service how important it is that changes are made to the Land Management Plan that conserve these critical areas for salmon and trout.
I’m so glad that such organisations exist, people don’t care about our environment these days, and when they realize it’s importance, it will bee too late. Submitted the comment, and asked my fishermen friends to do the same.