Any and all public suggestions for sustainably managing the Tongass National Forest are being sought in a series of online and in-person meetings throughout Southeast Alaska by the U.S. Forest Service during the next 10 weeks.<\/p>\n
“Instead of commenting on a plan we present, we’re asking folks to help develop it,” an announcement by the USFS about the meetings states.<\/p>\n
That means accepting input from stakeholders including individuals, groups, government agencies, or Alaska Native tribes about ideas such as “wood products, clean water, river restoration, fishing, jobs, improved wildlife habitat, healthy watersheds and \/or new industries.”<\/p>\n
Suggestions can be submitted online through the USFS’ Southeast Sustainable Strategy <\/a>website<\/a>, with the meetings in the coming weeks intended to provide an overview of the project’s intent and answer questions. A webinar for tribal entities was scheduled from 6-7 p.m. Monday and a second webinar for all members of the public is scheduled from 6-7 p.m. Wednesday.<\/p>\n An in-person workshop in Juneau is scheduled from 4-7 p.m. May 3 at the USFS’ Juneau District Office at 8510 Mendenhall Loop Road.<\/p>\n It’s another step in the agency’s Southeast Alaska Sustainability Strategy that was launched in 2021 and is linked with actions such as $25 million in federal grants awarded last fall for 70 area projects and the Biden administration’s reinstating of the Tongass Roadless Rule at the beginning of this year.<\/p>\n