Save the Tongass: Stop the Roadless Rule Repeal

The Tongass National Forest, Earth’s largest intact temperate rainforest, faces a dire threat. On June 23, 2025, the USDA announced plans to rescind the 2001 Roadless Rule, opening 9.3 million acres to logging and roads. This imperils ancient spruce and hemlock, home to bears, salmon, and Tlingit, Haida, and Tsimshian communities.

The Boat Company, the world’s only nonprofit cruise line, has sailed these pristine waters for 45 years, showing guests the Tongass’s wonders while championing its protection. We helped create the Roadless Rule and won lawsuits to defend it—twice. Now, we face another fight (alongside a 2025 timber lawsuit pushing for more logging).

The USDA claims this repeal boosts forest management and jobs, but it risks irreplaceable ecosystems for short-term gain. Logging scars salmon streams and carbon-storing forests, while eco-tourism sustains far more jobs (Alaska Department of Labor, 2023).

Time is critical: a public comment period opens soon, likely July 3, 2025. Join TBC, Earthjustice, NRDC, and tribal partners to defend the Tongass.

Sign now to urge your senators to oppose the repeal and protect this vital wilderness for future generations.

Call-to-Action:
Urge your senators to protect the Tongass by opposing the Roadless Rule repeal. Sign this petition to send a pre-written, editable letter demanding action. After signing, consider supporting TBC’s legal fund to fuel our fight: theboatcompany.org/foundation/#contribute-anchor