Tongass Forest Service Urges Alaska Input on Tourism Zones by May 6

The U.S. Forest Service has released a draft outline for revising the Tongass National Forest Plan, proposing to streamline over a dozen existing land-use designations into a handful of management areas, including new **high commercial use** and **low commercial use** recreation zones. These zones aim to guide permits for tour operators amid surging tourism in Alaska's Southeast, where the 16.7 million-acre Tongass draws millions of visitors annually via cruise ships docking in ports like Juneau and Ketchikan. Forest Service spokesperson Miranda emphasized the need to simplify management while addressing tourism growth, with public comments due by **May 6, 2026**.

To boost participation, the agency is partnering with Spruce Root on a user-friendly survey, while groups like Sustainable Southeast Partnership, Juneau Economic Development Council and Southeast Conference host online feedback forms mirroring in-person community meetings held throughout April. These guided forms cover not just recreation but also old-growth forests, key fisheries watersheds and community use areas vital to Alaska Native communities and local economies reliant on fishing, mining and tourism. Critics, including off-road advocates, warn the revisions could restrict motorized access across vast swaths of the forest.

The timeline presses forward: a full draft plan is slated for release by year's end, followed by a 90-day comment period, an environmental impact statement and draft record of decision in 2027 with a 60-day objection window, culminating in a final plan by **2028**. Environmental groups like Earthjustice urge support for climate-resilient strategies over past clearcutting practices, highlighting stakes for Indigenous cultures, subsistence and commercial fisheries. As Southeast Alaska communities from Wrangell to Haines weigh in, this 'once-in-a-generation' revision could balance economic drivers like tourism against the forest's ecological treasures.