Dear Community,
WECAN is taking the next steps to protect the Tongass Rainforest in Alaska, and we hope you will join us!

The Tongass Rainforest of Alaska is the traditional homelands of the Tlingit, Haida and Tsimshian Peoples; the largest national forest in the U.S.; and has been called 'America’s climate forest' due to its unsurpassed ability to sequester carbon and mitigate climate impacts. For decades, the forest suffered destructive and aggressive clear cut logging that negatively impacted the forest and local Indigenous communities. In 2001, the National Roadless Rule, put an end to clear-cutting in the Tongass, allowing the land to heal. However, since then, the roadless rule and Tongass have been under attack with the Trump Administration successfully repealing forest protections in the Tongass in October 2020. 

Earlier this year, the Biden Administration’s USDA announced it will restore full Roadless Rule protections, and end large-scale old growth timber sales across the entire 16 million acres of the Tongass National Forest in Alaska. The announcement comes after many years of advocacy by tribal leadership, and local and national groups, including WECAN.

As a part of the restoration process the United States Forest Service is conducting a 60-day comment period on the decisions to reestablish 2001 Roadless Rule protections on the Tongass National Forest. We need to show up in full force to ensure that these protections remain and the forest stays standing!

Please join us in taking immediate action to submit a public comment statement— expressing a demand for the Tongass Rainforest to retain its Roadless Rule protections!
The 60-day comment period runs from Nov. 23, 2021 to January 22, 2022. Comments can be submitted in the following ways:
  • Send your comment using the button above, which takes you to a coalition comment portal (synced to the Federal comment portal)
  • Send your comment using the Federal eRulemaking Portal: https://www.regulations.gov/document/FS-2021-0007-0006
  • Send your comment via mail to: Alaska Roadless Rule, USDA Forest Service, P.O. Box 21628, Juneau, Alaska 99802–1628
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Please be welcome to use this template email for your comment. 
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Tribal citizens are welcome to use this link and template email to send a comment, written collectively by Indigenous leaders from the Tongass.

Please also see the WECAN website here for more details on the Tongass and Roadless Rule, alongside action and campaign updates for the WECAN Tongass Women for Forests Program. 
SHARE WITH YOUR NETWORKS
Please help share and encourage others to take action to protect the Tongass! Below are sample posts for Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
Twitter

⚠️ Action Alert: Right now, the USFS is conducting a comment period to reestablish protections in the Tongass Forest of Alaska. Take action today to ensure global forests stay standing and Indigenous sovereignty is upheld. Submit a comment & learn more ➡️ bit.ly/WECAN_Tongass
Facebook & Instagram

⚠️ Action Alert: Take action to protect forests, communities, and our climate!

Right now, the USFS is conducting a comment period to reestablish protections in the Tongass Forest of Alaska. Take action today to ensure global forests stay standing and Indigenous sovereignty is upheld. Submit a comment & learn more ➡️ bit.ly/WECAN_Tongass

The Tongass Rainforest of Alaska is the traditional homelands of the Tlingit, Haida and Tsimshian Peoples; the largest national forest in the U.S.; and has been called 'America’s climate forest' due to its unsurpassed ability to sequester carbon and mitigate climate impacts. Earlier this year, the Biden Administration’s USDA announced it will restore full Roadless Rule protections, and end large-scale old growth timber sales across the entire 16 million acres of the Tongass National Forest in Alaska. The announcement comes after many years of advocacy by tribal leadership, and local and national groups, including WECAN. 

As a part of the restoration process the United States Forest Service is conducting a 60-day comment period on the decisions to reestablish 2001 Roadless Rule protections on the Tongass National Forest. We need to show up in full force to ensure that these protections remain and the forest stays standing!
Lawyers Needed to Support Line 3 Water Protectors
Many water protectors, who took action all year to stop the Line 3 pipeline in Minnesota, need legal support for ongoing charges.

Hundreds of water protectors are now navigating through the legal system and many are still in need of solid representation.

The Center for Protest Law and Litigation is supporting and administering a funding pool to subsidize and offset legal costs on a funds-available basis for defense of civil and human rights of persons arrested while exercising their First Amendment rights at Line 3. Learn more and support the fund here: www.protestlaw.org/line3

Join a team of lawyers and attorneys supporting Line 3 water protectors, fill out the form here.

Lastly. share this information out on social media, using this social media post from Giniw Collective.
Please stay tuned for updates as we continue to apply pressure in the courthouse, on the streets and in the halls of government! Thank you for your continued support of WECAN's ongoing campaigns, including in the Tongass. We will continue to fight and advocate for a just and healthy world.
For the Earth and All Generations,

Women's Earth and Climate Action Network
(WECAN) International Team
S T A Y C O N N E C T E D