Tongass Forest Exemption From Roadless Rule Moots Alaska Appeal

Alaska was handed a loss in its legal battle over the Tongass National Forest after the D.C. Circuit ruled Tuesday that the Trump administration’s decision to remove protections for the forest made the state’s claims moot.

The state’s challenge in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit centered on the Roadless Rule’s impact on the forest. But the rule no longer applies, following the federal government’s exemption issued in October 2020, the court said.

Alaska argued its case should be allowed to proceed because the rule may be reimposed. The Biden administration has already announced it will try ...