Alaska’s Tongass National Forest. (Mark Brennan via Wikipedia)
(CN) A diverse coalition of environmental groups, indigenous communities and businesses located in Southeastern Alaska filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration Wednesday, claiming the rollback of restrictions on logging in the 17-million-acre Tongass National Forest could harm one of the continent’s largest forests.
The Organized Village of Kake, the Hoonah Indian Association, the Alaska Longline Fishermen’s Association and green groups like the Natural Resources Defense Council and The Center for Biological Diversity filed the complaint in federal court in Juneau Wednesday, saying the U.S. Forest Service failed to conduct an adequate environmental analysis before rolling back the Roadless Rules.