Welcome to the April 2026 edition of BHA's State Policy Spotter – a high-level scan of state policy and legislation impacting our wild public lands, waters and wildlife across North America.

The Tongass: A Truly Wild Place I Call Home

The Tongass National Forest is the largest National Forest in the United States, possessing some of the most unique backcountry opportunities in the country. The Tongass is surrounded by Alaska’s Inside Passage, whose cold waters are fed by the various glaciers that wind their way through the towering mountains which characterize the this special temperate rainforest. These cold waters support some of the densest biomass anywhere in the world, supporting a variety of life from salmon and halibut to whales and sea ducks. The Tongass is a place I feel honored to call my home.

Written by Alec Boyd-Devine @devineconservation