USDA Targets the Roadless Rule: What It Means for the Tongass National Forest
On June 23, 2025, the USDA announced plans to rescind the Roadless Rule, a vital safeguard protecting over 58 million acres of national forests, including our beloved Tongass National Forest, from road construction and logging since 2001. For The Boat Company (TBC), this hits home. As the world’s only nonprofit cruise line, with a focus on protecting Southeast Alaska and the Tongass, we helped create this rule and have funded every lawsuit to defend it—winning twice against past repeal attempts.
We have had formidable partners in these legal victories such as the McIntosh Foundation, Earth Justice, National Resources Defense Council, Defenders of Wildlife, Trout Unlimited, Alaska Rainforest Campaign, Alaska Rainforest Foundation and more.
Our small-ship cruises showcase the Tongass’s pristine beauty, and this move threatens the very ecosystems we’ve fought to preserve.
The USDA spins this repeal as a win for forest management, wildfire prevention, and jobs. But the facts tell a different story. Experts note that logging often increases wildfire risks by removing fire-resistant old-growth trees and leaving flammable debris—hardly the “management” promised. Economically, outdoor recreation (think tourism and fishing) drives far more jobs and revenue in Southeast Alaska than logging, which accounts for less than 1% of the local economy. This isn’t about progress; it’s a rollback of protections for short-term gain.
The USDA’s announcement is just the first step—next comes a public comment period after a Federal Register notice, and TBC will be there, fighting back with comments and, if needed, lawsuits.
Stay tuned, TBC community! The public comment period is coming (likely a 30–60 day window after a notice around July 2025), and we’ll need your voice to protect the Tongass.
Check out Earthjustice’s take here and watch our blog for updates on how to join the fight.
Together, we’ve won before—we can do it again.