Democrats ask for investigation of Forest Service grant related to logging in Tongass National Forest

Democrats are pushing for an investigation of a U.S. Forest Service (USFS) grant after reports that funds were funneled to a logging industry group as it lobbied to open up access to Alaska’s Tongass National Forest. Democrats say a grant from USFS to Alaska to help it prepare a draft environmental analysis of the proposed logging was improper given that the $2 million was designed to help communities prevent and suppress wildfires. The draft environmental analysis was released in October. “The Tongass is our largest National Forest and is essential to addressing the climate crisis. It is critical that we ensure this taxpayer funded grant was properly awarded and used,” Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.) and Rep. Raúl Grijalva (D-Ariz.) wrote in a letter to the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Office of Inspector General. A September report from KTOO found that more than $200,000 of the grant was given to the Alaska Forest Association, a timber industry group...MORE