The U.S. Forest Service has opened a comment period on a new management plan for the Tongass National Forest.

Incredibly, the announcement makes little mention of commercial fishing as an economic driver. Meanwhile the plan spends a lot of time worrying about logging.

Now is the time to tell the Forest Service that conservation and sustainable use of the Tongass’ incredible resources must be the foundation of a new plan and a timber-first approach is inappropriate, deeply unpopular throughout the region and poses risk to other forest-dependent industries and ways of life. 

Edit the letter below with your own perspective, as well as how you use the forest. Some thoughts to consider: 

• Do you have first-person perspective and experience with how clearcut logging or unsustainable use of resources has impacted areas of the Tongass you visit? If so, please share it. 

• How do you use the forest? Do you hunt? Do you fish? Hike? Is your business in some way related to the Tongass? If so, add in a few lines about how you use the forest and why it is important that the Tongass Forest Plan prioritize uses like that.