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Wilderness Inventory Webinar
JUNEAU, Alaska, July 10, 2024— A 45-day feedback period is open through Sept. 14 for the public to weigh in on Tongass National Forest lands that may be suitable for inclusion in the National Wilderness Preservation System. This is part of the ongoing Tongass Plan Revision.
The USDA Forest Service is beginning a required four-step Wilderness Suitability Process with the release of a draft inventory that examines all lands within the forest’s boundaries to identify areas for further evaluation.
Following more evaluation and detailed analysis, the agency uses the data and public insight to determine if the final revised Forest Plan will include any areas of the Tongass to be recommended to Congress for Wilderness designation. The public will have an opportunity to engage at every step of the process. There is no requirement or expectation in the Wilderness Suitability Process for new areas to be recommended for wilderness designation.
The feedback period begins with the release of the draft inventory, which will be explained tonight during a Zoom webinar hosted jointly by the Forest Service and Society for Wilderness Stewardship.
Tongass Plan Revision – Draft WildernessI nventory Webinar
- Date: July 10, 2024
- Time: 5:30 p.m. – 6:30 p.m. (AKST)
- Join Zoom Gov Meeting
- Meeting ID: 160 499 7108
- Passcode: 23YUk!
The inventory map shows every parcel of land within the boundaries of the forest that are managed by the Forest Service and do not have: an existing Wilderness designation, roads, power lines, or significant improvements. The map can be found at https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/84297d9b9b6b4a5e9c2e8a0814698201.
The public can submit feedback before 11:59 p.m. Alaska Daylight Time on Sept. 14,using the plan revision email: TongassPlanRevision@usda.gov.
The revision is a multi-year process to adapt to many significant changes in Southeast Alaska using the best science and Indigenous Knowledge available and applicable, 25 years’ worth of best practices, and the many lessons learned from prior community outreach, tribal consultations, and public feedback.
For more information on the process, details on upcoming public engagements or to sign up for the email distribution list, please visit the plan revision website: https://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/tongass/landmanagement/planning/?cid=fseprd1105492
For more information about the National Wilderness Preservation System, visit the Wilderness page: https://www.fs.usda.gov/managing-land/wilderness