Groups decry proposal to roll back Alaska forest protections

The U.S. Forest Service is proposing to exempt the country’s largest national forest, in southeast Alaska, from a ban on timber harvests and road building in roadless areas

JUNEAU, Alaska — The U.S. Forest Service is proposing to exempt the country’s largest national forest from a ban on timber harvests and road building in roadless areas, a move conservation groups denounced Thursday.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture, under which the Forest Service falls, announced Thursday the upcoming release of a final environmental review identifying a preferred alternative to exempt the Tongass National Forest from the so-called Roadless Rule. Once the review is released, at least 30 days must pass before a final decision is made.

The Tongass, which covers more than 25,000 square miles (64,750 square kilometers) in southeast Alaska, is one of the largest, relatively…