The Tongass National Forest stretches across nearly 17 million acres of southeast Alaska, a place where salmon, steelhead, and trout are born in cold, clean water and carried out to sea by the millions. For the communities, guides, and anglers who depend on it, how this forest is managed over the next two decades matters more than most people realize. And this fall, anyone who cares about wild fish will have a say in what happens next.
Story by Marian Giannulis
The Tongass offers incredible fishing opportunities for salmon, steelhead, Dolly Varden char, and cutthroat trout. © Trout Unlimited
For many Americans, southeast Alaska’s Inside Passage and Tongass National Forest is a dream destination. Nearly three million visitors come every year to see the world’s largest intact temperate rainforest and its towering old-growth trees, dramatic mountains rising from the sea, tidewater glaciers, and abundant fish and wildlife.
Right now, there’s an incredible opportunity to help maintain the prolific fish and wildlife habitat in the forest for years to come.
Abundant in Every Way
The Tongass supplies one of the most important wild salmon systems remaining on earth. Five species of salmon, steelhead, cutthroat trout, Dolly Varden char, and countless wildlife species rely on the cold, clean water born from these forested mountains.
Anglers come to fill the freezer with the forest’s abundant salmon runs and catch a coveted wild steelhead. Hunters come to harvest sooty grouse, waterfowl, Sitka black-tailed deer, black bears, brown bears, and mountain goats.
For southeast Alaskans—especially Alaska Native communities whose cultures and traditions are deeply tied to salmon—the forest provides the fish, deer, and special places that sustain daily life.
Steelhead are found in over 300 streams in the Tongass. © Trout Unlimited
Healthy Forest, Healthy Fisheries
The forest’s rivers and streams produce robust salmon runs that support subsistence harvesting, commercial fisheries, charter captains, freshwater fishing guides, seafood processors, and small tourism businesses. Sport and commercial fishing in southeast Alaska contribute $1 billion annually to the regional economy and account for 10 percent of all jobs in the region.
“The wild character of these places is what sustains our fisheries, supports local outfitter-based economies, and allows future generations to experience world-class fishing opportunities.”
-Dori Matney, Chrome Chasers, Wrangell, AK
Together with southeast Alaska’s broader recreation and tourism sectors, these industries account for $2 billion in economic activity and 26 percent of regional employment.
Productive, high-value fish-and-wildlife habitat are the backbone of these industries—and the fishing, hunting, and subsistence traditions that define life in southeast Alaska.
A Rare Opportunity
Now, anglers across the country have an opportunity to ensure that the management of our largest national forest prioritizes the production of wild fish and world-class fishing opportunities.
The U.S. Forest Service is currently revising the Tongass National Forest Land Management Plan—a framework that is updated every 15-plus years and guides decision-making on nearly 17 million acres of public lands across southeast Alaska.
Input from people who live, work, and recreate on the Tongass—or who dream of visiting—is vital to ensure this plan prioritizes the conservation and restoration of southeast Alaska’s most productive wild salmon and trout habitat which anchor southeast Alaska’s cultures, economy, and way of life.
The Tongass Forest Plan functions like a zoning plan and informs how different areas of the forest will be managed.
For example:
- Important watersheds degraded by large-scale logging could be managed primarily for habitat restoration.
- Areas near towns with existing roads could be managed with an emphasis on community access.
- Areas with higher levels of visitors could be managed to help communities balance sustainable economic development and quality of life for local residents.
The Tongass has 13,000 miles of salmon streams. © Trout Unlimited
The Tongass produces more salmon than all the other forests combined. © Mark Hieronymus
It is critical that the angling community speaks up during the plan revision in support of maintaining and strengthening the habitat safeguards that support abundant fisheries—which in turn fuel southeast Alaska’s economy and communities and offer unique fishing opportunities for adventurous anglers.
Community Voices Speak Out
This spring, the Forest Service gave public notice of its intent to revise the forest plan and collected comments on what people would like to see in the plan. Here’s what some anglers had to say:
I live in Juneau. Salmon is an important piece of our lives. We eat from fish sustained by the Tongass. My son is a commercial fisherman. We depend on this intact ecosystem for fish and for tourism to sustain our local economy.
As an Alaskan and a person who values our public land, I would like to see the plan conserve important resources that protect recreation, hunting, and fishing opportunities. A diverse and healthy forest that includes protecting old growth for future Alaskans and the American people should be an important piece to include in future forest planning.
I’m an angler, guide, and small business owner that relies on the health of the Tongass National Forest on a daily basis from April through September each year. Walking through the Tongass and witnessing the clarity of the waters, the immensity of the forest, and the diversity of the fauna is the highlight of most of my clients’ entire Alaska visit. It’s a truly unique resource, and the health of the ecosystem should be top priority in the current revision.
A float plane is a great way to explore the Tongass. © Trout Unlimited
Make Your Voice Heard This Fall
This fall, the Forest Service is expected to release the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for the Tongass Forest Plan—the next, and most consequential, opportunity for anglers to weigh in. Exact dates haven’t been announced, but once the draft plan is public, there will be a formal public comment period to solicit feedback before the revised plan is finalized.
Don’t wait until the DEIS drops to get ready. Follow Trout Unlimited Alaska on social media now, so you’re notified when the comment window opens and know exactly how to make your voice count.
If the final Tongass Plan Revision prioritizes intact habitat, long-lasting fish-friendly infrastructure, and strong riparian protections, then fish, wildlife, and communities all benefit. If not, the Tongass’ incredible fishing and hunting opportunities—and the region’s salmon-based economy—will feel the consequences over time.
Trout Unlimited has worked alongside anglers, business owners, and community leaders to help conserve and restore the finest fish habitat on the Tongass for two decades. Together, we can ensure the Tongass continues to work for fish and for the people who depend on it for the next 20 years and beyond.
Trout Unlimited cares for the rivers you love to fish. Learn more about our work to conserve and restore fish habitat throughout Alaska at prioritywaters.tu.org/alaska. Marian Giannulis is Trout Unlimited’s Alaska Communications & Engagement Director.
For more conservation reading, check out Fish Alaska’s Conservation Blog for more.