Current Action Issues
Tongass Land Management Plan Revision Comment Period
The U.S. Forest Service is rewriting the Tongass Land Management Plan, the long-term blueprint that will guide forest decisions for the next 20+ years. We are currently a comment phase, where the agency is asking a big-picture question:
What should the Tongass be managed for?
This stage is about priorities — what resources should be protected, what uses should be supported, and how community values should guide future decisions. And right now the U.S. Forest service focused on:
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Expanded timber harvest and mineral extraction
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Large-scale tourism development
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No recognition of commercial and sport fishing as key economic drivers
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Subsistence, Indigenous knowledge, and cultural practices treated as considerations rather than priorities
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Little attention to climate change mitigation
Do these sound like your priorities for the Tongass and our communities?
Tell the Forest Service what's important to you and your community. Early public input is critical because it helps shape everything that comes next.
Open Sitka Conservation Society Office Hours Wednesday, March 4th, March 11th, March 18th. Stop in and we are happy to help you submit comments and answer your questions!
Comment Deadline: March 20, 2026, 11:59 PM AKST.
→ READ OUR BRIEFING SHEET
→ SUBMIT YOUR COMMENT
Federal Subsistence Management Program Review
Right now, the Federal Subsistence Management Program is under review—and the outcome could have real consequences for rural Alaskans and communities who depend on subsistence for food, culture, and survival.
The comment period has been extended until MARCH 30th, 2026.
→ READ OUR BRIEFING SHEET
→ SUBMIT YOUR COMMENT
At stake are the core protections that ensure:
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Rural residents have priority access to subsistence resources
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Subsistence users have a meaningful voice in federal decision-making
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Communities retain their rural designation status
For rural families, this review is not abstract. It affects whether freezers are full, whether traditions are passed on, and whether communities can continue living in balance with the lands and waters that sustain them.
Protect the Tongass
If you feel passionately about an issue facing the Tongass and want to make your voice heard, you can write a letter to the editor, submit a commentary to the radio, or write an op-ed. Contact our policy team at [email protected] to brainstorm ideas or for support with an outline or submittal process.
