The Tongass National Forest in Southeast Alaska, an ara of 68,000 km2 (1.5 the size of The Netherlands) is in the news. The Biden administration has restored protections for this largest intact temperate rainforest, sometimes called America’s Amazon. It is remote enough to be home to many species of endangered and rare flora and fauna.

Biden restored in line with the views of Alaska’s tribal nations the original roadless rule, in 2020 been undone by President Donald Trump, this for logging and oil drilling purposes. Roadless area conservation is a conservation policy limiting road construction and the resulting environmental impact on designated areas of public land.

It is in fact strange that one person ( a president in this case) can undo or restore formal legislation for protection. I know democracy has its value, but this factor is from the perspective of the forest itself and all species living in it, not quite establishing a feeling of comfort, security and safety. Sometimes humans must not be granted any access to nature. Never. Hands off. Eternal protection from human greed.

Picture: Tongass National Forest near Ketchikan, Alaska. Source: Wikipedia.