To those of us who live or spend a lot of time in Alaska, we understand that the Roadless Rule is an important part of keeping the Tongass National Forest pristine and supporting both the wildlife and overall environment of Southeast Alaska. The current Administration (2026) is dismantling this protection and putting the whole ecosystem of SE AK at risk, which in turn can and will impact the wildlife, the salmon run, and ultimately tourism in this fragile region. The Boat Company, who we love and have enjoyed sailing with, is a non-profit cruise line who’s been actively at the front of protecting the Tongass National Forest for years, and now the fight is even more important.
If you haven’t gotten to spend any time in Southeast Alaska, then this might not have much context to you, but for those of us who’ve gotten to wander the woods and observe the wildlife, we have seen with our own eyes how special and how fragile the Tongass National Forest is, which covers nearly all of the Inside Passage and beyond. If you have questions about the Roadless Rule and how this may impact the beautiful Tongass National Forest, please leave a comment or send us a note. We’re happy to provide more information or direct you to resources so that people can be well informed of the risks and efforts that impact the well being of Southeast Alaska.
About the Roadless Rule
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) oversees the U.S. Forest Service, which manages 193 million acres of national forests and grasslands. When the U.S. Forest Service was established in 1905, its stated primary mission was to sustain the health, diversity and productivity of these public lands for present and future generations. The Roadless Area Conservation Rule, commonly called the Roadless Rule, was a bipartisan Clinton-era initiative enacted to limit roadbuilding and subsequent mining and logging in remote public lands like the Tongass. The rule was enacted in 2001 to address decades of U.S. Forest Service mismanagement and resulting ecological problems. Prior to the rule, the U.S. Forest Service had constructed an astounding 380,000 miles of roads in public lands, primarily for the purpose of logging. (For perspective, a cross-country road trip from New York City to San Francisco is roughly 2,800 miles.)
The perpetually underfunded Forest Service couldn’t keep up with the maintenance of these roads, however. In the Tongass National Forest, the roads created fragmented wildlife habitat that led to damaged salmon streams, erosion and the introduction of invasive species. The U.S. Forest Service is now pushing for the repeal of the rule by the end of the year. The agency’s two main arguments for the rule’s appeal are that roadbuilding helps fight wildfires and that mining and logging create jobs for rural communities. But the pre-rule history of the Tongass National Forest shows that the government’s reasoning is not sound.
If you’re visiting Ketchikan, stop into the Southeast Alaska Discovery Center to learn more about the Tongass.
How the Boat Company Fights for the Tongass National Forest
“We saw what the mining and logging companies did to the Tongass National Forest before it was accorded protections, and I can assure you we do not want to return to those dark ages,” said Hunter McIntosh, president and chief executive officer of The Boat Company. “The agency’s short-term bureaucratic thinking behind rescinding the Roadless Rule makes no sense, and their purported reasons are an obvious smokescreen for allowing wealthy corporations and individuals to monetize Southeast Alaska’s natural resources.”
McIntosh is the son of Michael McIntosh, Sr., who established The Boat Company in 1979 with the goal of supporting conservation of the Alaskan wilderness. The company was set up as a non-profit so the profits from the high-end cruises could be funneled in a variety of ways, such as supporting local communities in the region and helping to fund lawsuits to protect the forest.
The company operates two small boats (10 and 12 cabins) that provide luxury, eco-focused cruises between Sitka and Juneau. In 48 years, The Boat Company has donated more than $30 million to support initiatives and build partnerships with environmental organizations, legal advocacy and community-based programs that safeguard fisheries, wildlife habitat and wilderness access. Partnership organizations include legal advocacy groups like Earthjustice and Natural Resources Defense Council and community organizations such as Alaska Raptor Center, Sitka Trail Works and Alaska Longline Fishing Association.
Here’s Why the U.S. Forest Service’s Arguments Don’t Add Up
So why is the USFS planning on repealing the Roadless Rule? They’ve presented several reasons that they feel they can withdraw the Roadless Rule and that it’s necessary, but it doesn’t actually make sense and some of their arguments don’t actually align with reality.
Forest Service: We need more roads to fight wildfires.
Fact: Close to 85 percent of all wildfires are human-caused, and 2/3 of those fires start along roads.
Nuance: Many Western forests are extremely dense because of fire-management suppression, drought, climate change and insect outbreaks. The best proven techniques have been strategic thinning (not clear-cutting) and prescribed burns. Additionally, there are already road-building exceptions. The Forest Service can justify roadbuilding now for reasons such as protecting communities and to restore ecosystems. Many of the forests where the U.S. Forest Service wants to build roads, especially the Tongass, are not where the biggest wildfire danger exists. The Tongass, a rainforest, is a coastal temperate rainforest and one of the wettest forests in the U.S.
Roadbuilding and subsequent logging and mining will create jobs for rural communities.
Fact: Not many. While some road-building construction jobs and logging and mining jobs will be created, the predicted numbers vary widely from forest to forest. And some jobs could be lost as well, as many communities near national forests stem from tourism, and visitation could be reduced as outdoor recreation opportunities like fishing and hiking become more limited.
Nuance: Before the Roadless Rule was established, the logging industry harvested massive numbers of trees using industrial equipment and techniques. Trees were then processed by pulp mills, again using industrial techniques. Global timber markets have changed dramatically with automation, and the industry requires fewer workers than it used to. The same goes for modern mining processes.
“The USDA’s purported reasons for rescinding the Roadless Rule are absurd, especially in the Tongass,” said McIntosh. “There are already exceptions to the existing rule for roadbuilding. And the potentially permanent damage to the Tongass would be devastating to the forest and local communities.”
Brief History of Forest Management in the Tongass
At 17 million acres, Southeastern Alaska’s Tongass National Forest is the largest national forest in the U.S. and one of the last remaining largely intact temperate rainforests on Earth. The Tongass region has been home to indigenous communities such as the Tlingit, Haida and Tsimshian peoples for centuries. The region is rich in wildlife, with abundant black and brown bears, wolves, moose, fox, porcupines, Sitka black-tailed deer, otters, sea lions, harbor seals and bald eagles.
The region also has five species of Pacific salmon, and the salmon industry produces more than $800 million annually and provides employment for more than 7,000 people, representing some 15 percent of the region’s workforce. The environmental degradation stemming from the initial practice of clear cutting was stunning. Because forests were clearcut, entire valleys of old growth trees were stripped. The resulting silt made its way to salmon streams, impacting the region’s most reliable natural resource, and other wildlife ranges were simply erased.
Before the Roadless Rule was introduced, logging companies clearcut old-growth trees. The trees were processed into pulp, which was further processed and used for cellophane, rayon and a food-grade additive called Tongacell, which often wound up in processed foods like breakfast cereal.
Because of the difficulties of logging in a remote rainforest, the U.S. government tried to incentivize the industry by offering 50-year contracts and building roads for the companies to use. The convoluted government incentives resulted in huge losses of both taxpayer dollars and habitat. One estimate found that administration of timber sales during a six-year period in the 1980s cost $386 million but resulted in a return of just $32 million. U.S. taxpayers lost millions of dollars because of the poorly conceived policies.
What’s Next with the Potential Repeal of the Roadless Rule
The U.S. Forest Service is expected to release a draft environmental impact statement soon, and the final decision on rescinding the rule, something the agency has already said it intends to do , is expected by the end of the year. When the agency opened a three-week public comment period in August 2025, 99 percent of respondents indicated opposition to the repeal of the rule. There will be another public comment period sometime soon.
What You Can Do to Save the Roadless Rule
Even though the U.S. Forest Service has already indicated it will rescind the rule, the public can make its thoughts known by communicating with their local representatives and submitting a comment when the public comment period reopens. Public action and the public voice can be more powerful than most people realize, and although big money is who most often has the ear of the decision makes when it comes to protecting the environment, citizens have been very effective in saving habitats and species over the years.
“The Tongass is worth the fight, and we plan to continue to do everything we possibly can to support a healthy environment in this incredibly special place,” said McIntosh.
A Note from The Boat Company, Champion of the Tongass National Forest
As a company that has seen a remarkable recovery of the country’s largest national forest since the Roadless Rule was enacted in 2001, The Boat Company knows that the pending repeal of the rule is an avoidable disaster waiting to happen. In business since 1979 when logging companies in Alaska were clearcutting old-growth Hemlocks and other trees, The Boat Company is the world’s only non-profit cruise operator, and it is dedicated to protecting Southeast Alaska’s Tongass National Forest. The company’s intimate small-boat cruises show passengers up close the beauty of the region. And on-board guides and naturalists highlight during daily activities like fishing and hiking how preservation of the region’s ecosystems is vital to the health of the forest, its wildlife and local communities.
More information is available by visiting The Boat Company’s website or calling 360-697-4242.
Media contact: Mesereau Travel Public Relations 720-284-1512 mona@mesereaupr.com tom@mesereaupr.com
