Twelve federally recognized tribes from across Southeast Alaska united to submit a joint technical comment letter opposing the proposed rescission of the 2001 Roadless Rule on the Tongass National Forest.
Submitted for inclusion in the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), the letter details the cultural, spiritual, ecological, and food security impacts that removing Roadless protections would have on tribal communities and ways of life. The tribes filed their comments through the official Federal Register process, joining more than 230,000 public submissions, and shared a copy directly with Forest Service leadership to ensure tribal voices were heard, as formal tribal consultation was not offered under this Notice of Intent.
“For our governments, the Tongass is not simply a natural resource but our homelands,” the letter states. “Our communities rely on these forests and waters for cultural, nutritional, spiritual, and economic sustenance.”
The technical comments outline several key areas that must be considered in the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS):
- Priority considerations and Indigenous-led alternatives to the proposed rescission.
- Analysis of impacts on Tribal ways of life, biodiversity, climate resilience, and subsistence resources.
- Legal and procedural concerns about the federal trust responsibility, consultation obligations, and compliance with laws including NEPA, ANILCA, and NHPA.
The tribes also proposed a Tribal Alternative—a framework that would protect traditional homelands, establish co-management with tribal governments, and ensure areas critical to hunting, fishing, gathering, and cultural practices remain safeguarded.
The joint comments also raise deep concerns that federal agencies have historically sidelined Tribal voices in Tongass policymaking. The undersigned Southeast Alaska tribes call for meaningful government-to-government consultation, co-development of EIS alternatives, and full integration of Indigenous Knowledge alongside western science.
With more than 230,000 comments submitted to the Forest Service on this issue, Southeast Alaska tribes want to ensure their voices are not lost. The joint letter underscores a shared commitment:
“We remain ready to work collaboratively to ensure management of the Tongass National Forest upholds the federal trust responsibility, sustains our ways of life, and ensures a durable and just future for our shared homelands.”
While the public comment period closed on September 19, 2025, tribes can still request consultation and are encouraged to do so promptly, before EIS scoping progresses further or a draft EIS is issued.
