Alaska's “Inside Passage” — The Tongass National Forest near the state capital of Juneau. On January 27th, 2023, the Biden Administration announced that all mining, hydropower, geothermal and road construction will be barred in the Tongass under the guise of permanently protecting 9.37 million acres for the natural world. He reinstated the so-called “roadless rule” which prohibits any road construction for timber companies, sportsman, firefighters, and wildlife officials to have better access to the forest. While this may sound like a good thing, one must remember that the federal government already owns 65% of the state, and 40% of that is set aside for conservation. In addition, there are millions of additional acres of Alaska that are in state and private hands deemed wilderness as well. Restricting access in the Tongass is a bad idea on a number of fronts. It is bad for economic development, and it is bad for nature as the “roadless rule” chokes off the ability of wildlife officials to manage forestland properly. It is one of 56 aggressive actions the Biden administration has taken against Alaska’s development. Sadly, it won't be the last.

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