Click here to read the essay by Mark Kaelke. 

This essay is part of an ongoing blog series on the Tongass National Forest, featuring the healthy & productive waters of the "Tongass 77." If you are interested in learning more, please see the intro page and other posts by clicking here.
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The Problem: More than 70 unique watersheds within the Tongass have been identified as the most important to salmon and trout by a group of scientists and Southeast Alaska stakeholders. However, development activities that can harm fish habitat are still allowed within these important areas in the Forest. 

The Solution: The United States Forest Service has just released a draft amendment to the Tongass Land Management Plan, which provides the blueprint for managing the forest. Our review of this plan tells us that the Forest Services has proposed changes that put fish and other renewable resource values on more even footing with timber for the first time, and greatly improves management of fish and wildlife habitat in our greatest national forest.

Take action: Now is a great opportunity to tell the Forest Service how important it is that changes are made to the Land Management Plan that conserve these critical areas for salmon and trout. 

Click here to take action for the Tongass today. And/or attend a hearing.

If you'd like to do more to ensure our angling experiences are preserved in the Tongass, please consider attending one of the following upcoming public hearings about the plan amendment: 

• January 11 – Craig/Thorne Bay /Klawock, Alaska: Prince of Wales VoTech Center, 6565 Boundary Road, Klawock, AK
• January 12 – Ketchikan: Southeast Alaska Discovery Center, 50 Main Street, Ketchikan, AK
• January 13 – Wrangell: Wrangell Ranger District Conference Room, 525 Bennett Street, Wrangell, AK
• January 14 – Petersburg: Petersburg Ranger District Conference Room, 12 North Nordic Drive, Petersburg, AK
• January 19- Juneau: Juneau/Admiralty District Conference Room, 8510 Mendenhall Loop Road, Juneau, AK
• January 20- Sitka: Westmark Hotel Conference Room, 330 Seward St, Sitka, AK
• January 21 – Hoonah: Hoonah Ranger District, 430 Airport Way, Hoonah, AK
• January 22- Yakutat: Yakutat Ranger District, Kwaan Plaza Conference Room, 712 Ocean Cape Rd., Yakutat, AK 

Questions? If you are interested in attending, but want to brush up on some talking points, don't hesitate to send us an email. We'd be happy to tell you about our interpretation of the plan and talk about how you can help.

Thanks for considering!

We're still digesting the full contents of the proposed Tongass Plan amendment, but we've got the jist of it and are excited to see conservation measures for the Tongass 77 watersheds included. 

The most important thing you can do to ensure the most important waters for wild salmon and trout within the Forest are protected is to urge the Forest Service to conserve them. You can do so by clicking here. Or, if you would like to strengthen your comment and write a more personalized letter, you can do that here.

Read our full statement here:
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