America's Salmon Forest
  • The Tongass
    • See the Tongass
    • Watch the Tongass
  • get the facts
    • Canadian Mining
    • Climate
    • Fish Habitat Project
    • Public Lands
    • Roadless Rule
    • The Tongass 77
  • Get Involved
    • Stay Up to Date
    • Community Science
    • Canadian Mining
  • News
    • News
    • Blog
    • Press Releases
  • About Us
    • Our Team
    • Contact Us
  • Donate

Blog

Alaskans who hunt and fish celebrate public lands in the Tongass National Forest

6/7/2017

 
June 7, 2017 

Contact: Mark Kaelke, Trout Unlimited, mkaelke@tu.org, 907-321-4464
 
Alaskans who hunt and fish celebrate public lands in the Tongass National Forest
Thousands sign onto letter requesting public lands remain in the public trust
 
JUNEAU, AK – Today, thousands of business owners, guides, outfitters, hunters and anglers who support conserving and maintaining access to public lands released a letter urging Alaska’s congressional representatives and the Trump Administration to keep public lands in the public trust while celebrating the many uses of the Tongass National Forest.
 
The letter states: “As individuals that depend on access to abundant natural resources, we believe the Tongass National Forest must continue to be managed by the U.S. Forest Service on a multiple-use basis. We stand together in opposition to any effort to transfer management or ownership of Federal public lands in Southeast Alaska to State or private entities [and] any proposals that threaten to unreasonably restrict public access or would harm fish and game populations by eliminating essential federal conservation designations and measures, such as the Tongass 77.”
 
At its core, the letter expresses concern that transferring public lands into private hands will harm the resource-based economy and culture of Southeast Alaska. However, many signers participated as a celebration of their support for the numerous uses and benefits of the Tongass National Forest.
 
“The Tongass is open to all of us to use and enjoy. Visitors have once-in-a-lifetime experiences here, locals fill their freezers with game and fish from the Tongass, and business owners rely on the land and water for their livelihoods,” said Dan Blanchard, Captain and CEO of Uncruise Adventures. “We’re not only opposed to privatization of the public places we love, we’re also signing in celebration of all the Tongass gives us. We want the Tongass to be around forever.”
 
The letter highlights that public lands drive the private-sector economy of Southeast Alaska, by creating more than $2 billion in economic contribution and 25% of all jobs in the region annually. 
 
###

Trout Unlimited is the nation’s oldest and largest coldwater fisheries conservation organization. In Alaska, we work with sportsmen and women to ensure the state’s trout and salmon resources remain healthy through our local chapters and offices in Anchorage and Juneau. Follow TU on Facebook or visit us online at tu.org and americansalmonforest.org. 


Comments are closed.
    Submit your own story!

    Categories

    All
    People Of Southeast
    Public Lands
    Roadless
    Timber Sale
    Tongass 77

    Archives

    November 2021
    October 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    January 2021
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    July 2018
    May 2018
    February 2018
    November 2017
    June 2017
    March 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    November 2015
    October 2015
    August 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012

    RSS Feed

AMERICA'S SALMON FOREST 

is a coalition of sport, commercial, and subsistence fishermen, business owners and operators as well as private citizens working together to conserve high-quality salmon and trout spawning and rearing habitat in the Tongass, America's largest national forest.

CONNECT
JOIN THE CONVERSATION

Join Us!
  • The Tongass
    • See the Tongass
    • Watch the Tongass
  • get the facts
    • Canadian Mining
    • Climate
    • Fish Habitat Project
    • Public Lands
    • Roadless Rule
    • The Tongass 77
  • Get Involved
    • Stay Up to Date
    • Community Science
    • Canadian Mining
  • News
    • News
    • Blog
    • Press Releases
  • About Us
    • Our Team
    • Contact Us
  • Donate