Tongass National Forest Plan Update: Public Meetings in Southeast Alaska

0:00From the Daily News Now Network, this is Anchorage News Today. The U.S. Forest Service is kicking off public meetings across Southeast Alaska to gather input on a new management plan for the Tongas National Forest. This massive forest spans 16 million acres and covers 80 percent of the region, making it the largest in the country. The plan will guide priorities like logging, recreation, tourism, subsistence use, and ecosystem protection for the next 10 to 15 years. The last update came back in 2016, and now they're revising it to reflect changing needs. Meetings will run from late March through early May in towns including Juno, Ketchikan, Sitka, Wrangle, and many others. Folks can find exact times and spots on the Forest Service website. Residents have a big say in how the forest gets used, balancing jobs from timber and mining with wildlife and community traditions. The process started last month with an initial 30-day common window that closes on March 20. Officials plan to align the plan with past executive orders, boosting logging and mineral development

1:04in Alaska. There will release a draft plan and environment to review this fall. Open another 90-day common period and aim for a final version by next May. If you're in Southeast Alaska, these meetings are your chance to weigh in on the forest future. Check the website soon to join the conversation. Special thanks to our sponsor for supporting this episode, your pillow, your podcast, for moment, made for listening and bed, S-O-L-I-SoliPillow.com.