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Trump Administration Moves To Log In Protected Alaskan Rainforest

by Maggie Way | August 30, 2019

The US government under Trump has moved to log in Alaska’s Tongass National Forest — a rich ecosystem, “critical habitat,” and the world’s oldest intact temperate rainforest.

Trump’s administration has requested that the Agricultural Secretary remove a policy made to protect old growth in the temperate Alaskan rainforest — which amounts to 16.7 million acres of largely untouched land — from logging, mining, and other destructive industries. Dubbed the “roadless rule,” the Clinton-era policy forbids logging and extractive industries in many of the nation’s protected areas.

A number of Alaskan leaders are backing Trump’s move to rescind the policy in the name of economic gain. Under the expected exemption to the protective policy, over 9 million acres could now be threatened by industry.

More Than One Rainforest Under Fire

This move on the part of the Trump administration comes in a time of what data suggests is unprecedented threat for the world’s rainforests.

Record-breaking wildfires have been recorded in the Amazon this season, another move credited in part to the pursuit of economic gain — in this case, via the beef industry.

Felled trees are not only unable to continue to recycle CO2, but release stored greenhouse gases, thus further contributing to environmental degradation.

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