We live and work in the coastal town of Sitka, Alaska, Sheet’ká Kwáan, in the heart of the Tongass National Forest. The Tongass is the nation’s largest intact temperate rainforest with over 17 million acres of public land that comprise the vast majority of lands across Southeast Alaska. It is home to towering old growth trees, fish and wildlife habitat, and 32 culturally diverse and hardy communities. We share this coastal backyard with brown bears, all five species of Pacific salmon, bald eagles, wolves, orcas, and humpback whales.