Democrats renew push to restore Roadless Rule in Tongass National Forest
Posted by Jacob Resneck, CoastAlaska | Jan 12, 2021
The western shores of Carroll Inlet in 2015. (Photo by Larry Edwards/Alaska Rainforest Defenders)
And with the U.S. Senate slated to change hands, the bills filed in both chambers on Tuesday have better prospects than previous efforts.
The Roadless Area Conservation Act of 2021 mirrors past bills. It was introduced by U.S. Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-Washington) and Reps. Diana DeGette (D-Colorado) and Ruben Gallego (D-Arizona).
“The looming climate crisis has only increased the need to protect America’s last remaining wild forestlands, which reduce wildland fire risk and store huge amounts of carbon,” Sen. Cantwell said in a statement.