The Tongass

In southeast Alaska, encompassing Glacier Bay, lies a UN World Heritage Site 8 times the size of Yellowstone National Park, called Tongass National Forest. This land mass is almost 17 million acres in size, and is one of the most highly productive areas in the world.

There are over 1000 islands and over 100 rivers flowing through the region which spill into the inland sea that are the last pristine spawning grounds for five species of salmon which are the primary food of resident orcas, bears, and eagles. This area spans over 90% of the wild salmon in Alaska.

Every summer thousands of humpback whales migrate to the waters around southeast Alaska to feed upon the herring, krill and salmon populations produced within the Tongass.


The Tongass National Forest was included in the Roadless Initiative passed on 5 January 2001, during the last days of the Bill Clinton Administration, and the initiative prevented the construction of new roads in currently roadless areas of United States national forests.

In 2003 the George W. Bush Administration has declined to defend the policy in the courts and the U.S. Forest Service has largely exempted the Tongass from roadless protections, by initiating the "Healthy Forest Initiative" which intended to open over 9 million acres of the Tongass for logging. This was attempted under the guise of a response to widespread forest fires. Much of the basis for the law revolves around the overcrowding of forests due to the suppression of low intensity fires, which vary in their natural role of thinning small trees and clearing vegetative debris. Opponents of the nicknamed "No Tree Left Behind" Act point out that logging companies will be allowed to unnecessarily cut large diameter trees under a false pretense, while neglecting the greater issue of ladder fuels (such as brush and small trees) and possibly leaving debris that would add to extremely volatile ground fuels.

In September 2006, a landmark court decision overturned Bush's repeal of the Roadless Rule, reverting to the 2001 roadless area protections established under president Clinton. However, the Tongass remained exempt from that ruling, and it is currently unclear what the fate of its vast roadless areas will be.

The construction of more roads, combined with excessive clear cutting would be detrimental to land and the ecosystem that exists within and around the Tongass. The runoff will choke the waterways with sediment and nitrate, which will in turn wreak havoc upon the herring, krill and salmon that spawn there. This will have an effect on the already endangered humpbacks, orcas, seals, bears and eagles that are dependant upon this land to survive.

This land must be preserved as it is. The Roadless Rule must remain as it is, clear cutting must be kept to a minimum. Too much damage to this land will have drastic results to the wildlife that depends on it. We must do our part to continue its existence as a World Heritage Site, and continue to be aware of the actions our governments wish to take the could jeopardize the future of humanity.

The current situation in the Tongass appears to be stable. More updates on this matter to follow.

World Saving Tip of the Day

Drive your vehicle less.

By making a cutback on fuel consumption, you can have a drastic effect on the amount of carbon dioxide that gets pumped into the air we breath.

Drive less; choose one day of the week that you do not use your vehicle, carpool as often as possible, take transit.

We, as humans, have taken the convenience of transportation for granted. If we make an effort to remind ourselves how good it can feel to walk, and be able to view the sights that surround us in our everyday lives, we can make a difference.

Every attempt to cutback on fuel consumption not only helps to save the world, but to save the contents of our wallets.

Thank you for doing your part.

Our time to speak

For a long time now, I have been aware of the state of the world. It is degrading before our eyes, and I find it hard to continue to sit by idly and just watch. We, as humans, have a right to exist on this beautiful planet, and the right to continue to do so. In time our planet will no longer be able to provide for us, if we continue to destroy it.

I have thought long on what is to be saved, what can make the most of a difference in our future. My thoughts continue to be focused towards the seas and oceans. This water is the lifeblood of our planet. If we continue to poison it, the creatures that depend upon it for survival will perish. We humans are creatures that depend upon this lifeblood as well.

In my search to find ways to make a difference, and to find others who want to make their voice heard, I cam across The Whaleman Foundation. Here they have the slogan 'Save the whales, save the world.' This catchy line has special meaning, as the spokesperson at the forefront of this organization happens to be Hayden Panettiere, the indestructible cheerleader from the series Heroes. I found myself to be inspired by her passion to make a difference, and impressed by her dedication. It has given me the drive to learn more, to become an active part of the solution.

Through The Whaleman Foundation I learned of a movie call The Cove. This movie tells a story of small town in Japan, called Taiji. It is here that a great many dolphins that are watched in awe and wonder in marine parks around the world are found. Those that are not chosen, are slaughtered. There is nothing clean or merciful about this killing either.

The Cove goes into great detail of how the town of Taiji is a 'small town, with a really big secret'. One that many Japanese have no knowledge of. Follow Richard O'Barry, a man who took part in creating the original Flipper series, as he sets out to right the wrongs created by this worldwide fascination with dolphins. It took a traumatic event for him to realize the error of his ways. Now he makes it his life's work to see that no other dolphins suffer needlessly.

The Whaleman Foundation focuses upon saving cetaceans; whales, dolphins and porpoises; which are a big part of the marine world, and some of the most affected. They seek not to just save the creatures from needless killing, but to educate and inform the world of the troubles that they face, and what we can do help save them. If we can save them, we can save ourselves.

The products of our society always manage to find their way into our water supply. These cetaceans are the first to suffer from it. If we lose them, it will upset the balance of our ecosystem, with potential for disastrous results. Every choice that we make in our daily lives can have an effect on them.

Watching this movie, and reading of what The Whaleman Foundation has set out to accomplish has inspired me to attempt to make a difference. Every one of us can make a difference. Every action we take can affect the future. Every person we tell is one person more who knows something new, something they can affect.

I highly recommend watching this movie. The reality of it is not easy to watch, but it will open your eyes to the world of dolphins a little differently.

This is the extent of this blurb for this evening. I have too much to write to get it all done now. More to come on the future that we hold within our hands.