Native Organizers Alliance - Act now: Demand Congress protect ancient forests and respect Tribal sovereignty

 

Patricia, Next Tuesday, members of Congress are holding a hearing on H.R. 7695, a bill that would eliminate critical protections for a third of our public forests. If passed, this legislation would open up 45 million acres of roadless public lands to for-profit logging, road-building, and resource extraction. This would increase the risk of wildfires and could pollute drinking water sources for 60 million people. Logging takes down older trees, releasing carbon dioxide and accelerating the climate crisis. Trees also produce oxygen that we need to breathe, an example of the sacred relationships between all living beings. Logging and logging roads also destroy wildlife habitat that sustains endangered species -- including wild salmon, which Tribal communities depend on for survival and cultural continuity. Between now and next Tuesday’s hearing is a crucial chance to show the power of our grassroots movement and stop further attacks on Tribal sovereignty and the Roadless Area Conservation Rule. Please act now: Congress needs to hear that we oppose this bill now. Add your name to urge your Representative to protect our forests and respect Tribal sovereignty. SAVE OUR FORESTS The Federal Lands Subcommittee of the House Natural Resources Committee will consider this legislation as part of a broader effort to roll back long-standing protections for public lands. At a time when Tribal Nations continue fighting for meaningful co-stewardship, consultation, and sovereignty, Congress should not be advancing legislation that would violate their legal obligation to respect Tribes’ sovereign right to protect their ancestral homelands and sacred places. It would threaten the Tongass National Forest, which is the world’s largest temperate rainforest and one of the largest carbon sinks on Turtle Island. The Tlingit and Haida Tribes of Alaska wrote: “The Tongass is more than an ecosystem -- it is our home. It is the foundation of our identity, our culture, and our way of life.” We’ve worked with Tribes to raise awareness about the Roadless Rule. Together, we will keep supporting Tribal Nations in defending their cultures, homelands, and sovereign rights. Add your name to tell your U.S. Representative: Defend the Roadless Rule to protect ancient forests and uphold your obligation to respect Tribes’ sovereignty. Hawwih (thank you), Judith LeBlanc (Caddo) Executive Director POWER OUR MOVEMENT

Sent via ActionNetwork.org. To update your email address, change your name or address, or to stop receiving emails from Native Organizers Alliance Action Fund, please click here.