"Appeals Ruling Would Allow Logging in Tongass Forest Roadless Areas"

"A federal appeals court sided with the state of Alaska on Wednesday in a ruling that could open a large portion of the Tongass National Forest to road building and logging.

In a split decision, a panel of the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals reversed a ruling by a district court, which found that the U.S. Forest Service had improperly exempted the Tongass from a 2001 rule banning new roads and timber harvesting on relatively pristine national forestland across the country.

But it’s unclear what the practical effects of the new ruling will be. The panel sent the case back to the lower court to decide whether the Forest Service needs to prepare environmental documents for the exemption.

And even if the district court rules that no further review is necessary, in effect giving the green light to logging, the Forest Service won’t necessarily proceed with timber sales."

Bettina Boxall reports for the Los Angeles Times March 26, 2014.