Legal Victory in the Tongass National Forest Goes Unchallenged by Department of Justice
Voluntary dismissal of appeal keeps Prince of Wales Island protected from logging.
ALASKA - The U.S. Department of Justice has decided against appealing the decision which vacated the U.S. Forest Service’s plan to log a 1.8 million-acre project area on Prince of Wales Island in Southeast Alaska. The court entered the previously filed appeal today.
“Putting an end to this logging plan protects the voice of the people in federal decision making processes. The Forest Service was trying to fast track logging without listening to the needs of communities, and ignoring the devastating impacts of their actions on wolves, deer, birds, and salmon.” said Natalie Dawson, executive director at APP Alaska. “The large old-growth trees and rich ecosystem of Prince of Wales Island contributes to the region’s tourism, fishing, and recreation. The time to embrace sustainable economies and turn our backs on expensive, destructive, fast-tracked logging is long overdue.”
The court case was filed by Earthjustice on behalf of APP, the Southeast Alaska Conservation Council, Alaska Rainforest Defenders, Center for Biological Diversity, Sierra Club, Defenders of Wildlife, Alaska Wilderness League, APP, and Natural Resources Defense Council. The court’s opinion was issued on June 24, 2020.
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